Simple Missions
by emberfire411
Summary: Ten years after Sky casts Baltor out of Bloom's life, their daughter works to try and get him back. But the price is high, and the road dangerous. Can Bloom rescue before she makes the mistake that almost killed her? Shattered Memories part 3
1. Chapter 1: Adision

**All right, it is finally here! I've got a bit of an author's note with shout-outs and all, but since I won't talk to you all until _Thursday_, I think it'll be ok. First off, a _huge_ thank you goes out to xBloomStarx and Authoress-In-Training, my sparxshipping sisters in crime. Bloom helped me with some awesome ideas for this, and Authoress was kind enough to beta (and she was inspiration for a little scene later on that she doesn't know about. Shh!).**

**Next (to show credit where credit is due), I just wanna say that the inspiration for the Original Shattered Memories came from the W.I.T.C.H. story _Candracar's Reward_. The link to it is in my favorite story list, so if you're a W.I.T.C.H. fan go check it out!**

**Ok, so now that that's out of the way, let me run down how this works. There's going to be an update every day through Thursday. The POV changes with each chapter, and you can find out who's POV it's in by looking at the chapter (like, this chapter is just Adision's POV, but next chapter it switches between her and Hale). Making sense? Awesome.**

**Last thing; I swear! Okay, so I also want to strike a little deal with you guys. If you review every day I update (only four guys!), I'll send you a chapter from a new story I'm writing called High Hopes in Velvet Ropes. I know, I know 'geez Ember, bribing us? That's shallow!'. Yes, it might seem like it, but it's really a win-win situation.**

**Okay, I've blabbed on long enough. So I'll shut up, and you guys can enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Okay, so we just went to the shop on South Durango, and there's another one on the intersection of Hualapai…"<p>

"Adision…"

"And up on Spring Mountain…"

"Addy?"

"And the Palace has some kind of magic convention this weekend, too; maybe we should go there next."

"Back down to the Strip! Are you nuts?"

I glanced over my shoulder, looking at my best friend Hale through the sunglasses I'd bought at Zumiez earlier today. His dark brown hair was damp from the heat – so much it was a miracle his salty sweat wasn't irritating his new contact lenses. "Janey Mack, Adision," Tecna's son continued, "we've been all over this town, and it's so hot we saw a homeless guy frying his breakfast on the sidewalk!"

"I've always been meaning to ask – who _is_ Janey Mack?"

He sighed, clearly annoyed. "Adision, when I told your dad… _Sky_," he corrected himself when he saw my death glare, "that I was taking you out on a date today, I really did want to take you _on a date_. You know, cinema, lunch… something fun?"

"How can this not be fun? We're in Sin City – it's the center of fun."

"Adision. Come on – you know all this psychic and gypsy stuff is total bull. What are you trying to accomplish?" He sighed. "For me, please? Ten minutes in air conditioning and I'll love you forever."

I couldn't keep the smile off my face. "You said that yesterday, too. But no shame in losing love. Let's hit Taco Bell."

From behind me, I heard Hale sigh again. "More like Taco Hell."

"You gotta love fast food," I said, my grin widening.

"How do you stand the stuff? Delilah hates you, you know – because you can eat a Big Mac and you're still, like, a stick."

"I am not a stick. Delilah is a stick, just like Flora. Where did she flake out to anyway? I thought she was going to come and chill with us for that supposed movie."

Hale shrugged and fanned himself with the collar of his Michael Jackson T-shirt. "She said her parents didn't want her out in the heat."

I stopped dead in my tracks. "You told Sky you were taking me on a date in Magix?"

"Yeah."

"It's never hot in Magix. I mean, it gets in the eighties sometimes, but never Vegas hot."

"Well, I told her you wanted to come here."

My eyes narrowed as I turned to look at him. "And if she told Flora and she said no, who is she going to talk to?"

It took a moment for Hale to process this. When he did, his eyes widened a little. "My parents."

"And who are they going to talk to?" When he didn't respond, I sighed and started walking again, Hale quickly falling into step with me. "We're dead. My life is officially over. Even more than when I was four. I'm going to be a caged bird for the rest of my life, and there's nothing anyone can do about it."

"Well, we all know you can't be tamed." I shot him a venomous look, and he attempted a smile. "Sorry – apparently my attempts at humor aren't nearly as funny as yours."

"When's the last time you heard about Miley Cyrus? This isn't 2010, Hale."

"Yeah. You were normal back then."

I almost tripped over my own two feet, and resisted the urge to turn and punch him in the face. Sometimes it was hard to convince my friends why I did what I did – go from city to city looking in magic shops and palm-reading booths at Renaissance fairs to try and find the slightest piece of information on the paranormal or things like that. I wanted them to _see_ what it was like – the night Sky lost his mind and my mother broke down in the arms of a person whose face I can't remember, no matter how much I try. But some nights, even I don't want to remember what it was like.

Realizing what he'd just said, Hale placed his hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry Addy. I didn't mean…"

I nodded, scrubbing my arm across my eyes. I refused to let myself cry anymore. "Yeah, I know. Let's go find something to eat – I didn't have breakfast this morning."

His hand left my shoulder – after a moment's hesitation, I noticed but didn't comment on. "Good plan. Can you teleport us to the Forum Shops? I think they just put in a Subway."

* * *

><p><em>Your mother changed me, Adision…<em>

_This isn't your fault, and I want you to know I'm not going anywhere…_

_I never,_ ever_, want you to feel like you caused this…_

_This ring is going to teleport you there once we arrive…_

I sighed and looked down at my left hand, twisting the now-faded silver ring on my middle finger. I wore it all the time, ever since the night it was given to me. Thankfully, these days I wore so many that Sky never noticed it. (Well, he hadn't noticed it to start with, and when he asked I'd made up some excuse about where I'd gotten it).

"All right," Hale said, approaching our table with a tray in hand, "two tacos for ninety nine cents, plus the receipt that's good for two free tacos plus a soda and a side of chips equals a heart attack in deep fried goodness."

I smiled a little. "Thanks, Hale."

He sighed as he grabbed a chip. "You know, if you planned to pull off the quiet act, you probably shouldn't have become friends with me. Nerds actually like to discuss things, contrary to the stereotype."

I finally looked up at him, grabbing something on the tray and taking a bite of it without really looking at it. Whatever it was, it had salsa on it. "Sorry. Lost in my own thoughts."

"Yeah. You've been doing that lately."

"Hale…"

"I'm just curious," he said, holding up his hands in an innocent gesture. "I know you don't like to talk about… what happened very much."

"You wouldn't believe me," I muttered under my breath.

"Come on," he insisted. "I've believed everything you ever told me. Even the thing about our history teacher dating the lacrosse coach even though he had a boyfriend."

I smiled a little, remembering the incident from the seventh grade. "I tried to make people believe me… but he would've snapped again." Hale nodded thoughtfully, and I grinned at his attempt to make me feel better. "You know what's weird? I don't even remember the guy's name. Mom won't tell me anymore. No face, no name… just a ring and a few memories."

He shrugged. "We all base our lives on what we can remember, right?"

I grabbed a chip off the tray and popped it in my mouth. "Do you think I'm crazy?"

"Yes," he replied, looking serious. "But at least you're fighting for something. Nobody does that these days; it's all about what _they_ want. And if it turns out you're right, everyone's happy. You've got a determination I don't see very often. When this whole 'tracking down a mysterious lost soul' thing is over, you should go into politics."

A faint blush crept up my cheeks. I knew Hale well enough to know whenever he gave a genuine compliment, he laced it with a joke so it would be less noticeable. "Politics… aren't really my thing."

There was a small laugh as he looked up at me. "You're a princess."

"Yeah, well, it's not like I'm getting a kingdom to go along with that. I told you already, I–"

"Want to go to art school," he interrupted, his smirk less appealing with the salsa on the corner of his mouth. "On Earth, probably by a beach. And you need to come with me, Hale, because you're so hot and sexy and I can't live without you."

I shook my head. "I never said the last part."

"Did so. You just don't want to admit it. But that's not important." He wiped his now-greasy hand on a napkin. "So we need a… psychic, right? We can find one here easy enough."

Both Hale and I jumped as we heard a scratchy laugh from behind us. I glanced over my shoulder, seeing a woman dressed in a revealing red corset and a black-and-white-pinstripe jacket smirking at us. Her jet-black hair looked a bit on the greasy side, and there was an outrageous amount of makeup on her face. When she grinned wider, I saw that one of her teeth was a shining silver color – obviously fake.

Shivers raced down my spine; her presence was not a pleasant one.

"You," she said, pointing a bony hand at Hale, "mock our work."

Hale's eyebrows arched up high onto his forehead, the rest of his face staying emotionless. "I beg your pardon?"

The woman sighed, flipping some of her hair back. " 'Psychic'… ha. You mock what we have spent years perfecting. The talent to see into people's lives and arrange time is not simple. I'd love to see you try it."

"I would, but I don't think I could pull off the work attire." He shrugged, gesturing to the corset, and added, "I don't wear red too well."

She bit back a smile. "I see." With that, her eyes slid to me. "My apologies for interrupting you, miss. I just couldn't help but overhear."

I nodded, trying to fight my churning stomach – a combination of the food and the aura of this woman. "That's all right… I'm Adision. The jerk behind me is Hale."

She nodded. "My name is Bridgette. A pleasure to meet travelers like yourselves."

Another shiver hit me. "Who said we were–"

"I can tell. It's quite easy."

"Psh, I'm sure." Hale muttered from behind me.

Bridgette ignored him. "So, what kind of power are you seeking, child?"

I wrapped my arms around myself. "Paranormal contact and retreat," I said, repeating the phrase I'd memorized telling countless psychics and gypsies in hopes of getting answers.

"Ah, searching for lost souls. Obviously with a kind of… physical bond."

"Yeah… Let me guess – you can supposedly help with that?"

Bridgette shook her head. "I'm afraid not. But," she added, a small smile spreading across her face, "I know someone who can. A dear friend of mine who is here for a few days. I'm sure she could be of… great assistance."

Something about her voice made me uncomfortable. It was obviously noticeable, because I heard Hale snicker from behind me and go into his 'sarcastic to protect feelings mode'. "Yeah, I'm sure she's just as pretty as you, too. I think we'll stick to the younger people in the business, sister."

Bridgette's eyes narrowed. "_Forsøger du at imponere din kæreste? Hvor modig."_

Hale matched her gaze. "_Hun er ikke min kæreste. Men jeg stoler ikke på dig, så..._" He trailed off, looking at the woman curiously. "You speak Danish?"

"My name is Danish, so I would hope so." She reached into the corset (which, let me tell you, was a pretty horrifying sight), and produced a card, holding it out to me. "This is the room she's staying in. In case you're curious."

I glanced back at Hale, who was giving me a 'this is a bad idea' look. "I…"

"You lost something important," the woman said suddenly, a smirk adorning her red-painted lips. "And yet you fail to see the good in front of you because your fantasies can't compare."

Hale stood up abruptly, one of his hands hitting the table. I was going to say something about spilling the food, but to my surprise the trays were empty. The only things left were our sodas and a foil-wrapped taco I hadn't gotten to. "That's enough," he said. "We're leaving. Come on, Adision."

I glanced back at him. "Look, I know you hate all of this…"

"Never would've guessed," I heard Bridgette say under her breath from behind me.

"But there's some importance to it."

"Maybe there is. So we'll go to Magix, then. Just not here."

Bridgette rolled her eyes. "Most people like us _are_ aware of the magical dimension. The glitz of Magix, Solaria's fashion, Eraklyon's parties…"

"Party?" Hale and I spoke at the same time, our eyes connecting.

"Damn it," I cursed, closing my eyes and rubbing my temple. "That party on Solaria is tonight. Oh, Sky's going to kill me if I'm late… and if I don't look 'presentable'… crap."

"We've got to get going."

"Yeah," I agreed, reaching into my pocket and pulling out a portal device. "Go open this up around the corner. I'll be there in a second. Go," I snapped when I saw Hale glance back at Bridgette. With a final look, he turned and ran out of the store, the device in hand.

Bridgette regarded me thoughtfully. "An extremely clever distraction."

"Maybe because it's a real distraction," I said, grabbing the leftover taco. "If I'm late to this party, bad things will happen."

She nodded. "Should I pass your name on?"

I sighed, looking back at the entrance where Hale had disappeared. "…Yeah. I'll try to come back around here tomorrow."

"Very well. Wait," she said, grabbing my arm as I was walking away. Her hand was ice-cold. "Just to… start her off, what name do you prefer to your own?"

I raised an eyebrow. "That helps you?"

"Immensely," she grinned.

A shiver raked though me. "I don't know," I said, trying to pull my arm free. She wouldn't let go.

"Pick something," she insisted, her tone sounding a lot less friendly then when we'd met her.

"I don't know… Alyssa." I said, jerking my arm again, trying to take advantage of her diverted attention. It didn't work. Good Lord, this woman was strong. "If there's one thing I remember about my father, it was him telling me if he'd gotten to name me, he'd have picked Alyssa. Now let me go."

"Nothing more original? It starts with the same letter as your current name…"

I thought back to when I was little, when Mom was happier and I begged her to tell me stories before I went to bed. "Fine – Sarah. I'd pick Sarah."

With that, Bridgette finally let go of my arm. I didn't even wait to hear what she said in response; I just ran out of there. For the first time in my life, I didn't want help from someone in getting my mother's happiness back.

* * *

><p>"So did you and Hale have a good time today?"<p>

I looked over at Sky, dressed in the blue button-up coat that he always wore to formal events. His hair looked the same as it did in his high school pictures – long and shaggy, but still regal-looking. He looked like the fairytale prince from a Disney movie. The only imperfection was a faint line running up his left cheek.

I hated it.

"It was nice," I said, pulling at the hem of my coral-colored dress. It was short – too short for my liking – stopping mid-thigh.

"You know," Sky continued, eyeing me suspiciously. "I was talking to Flora earlier, and she told me the strangest thing."

"Did she now?" I asked, looking through the crowd of people crammed into the Eraklyon ballroom. So far, I couldn't see anyone I knew.

"She said you asked Delilah if she wanted to come with you and Hale to _Las Vegas_?"

"Uh-huh." I purposely sounded uninterested as I rose up on my tiptoes to scan the crowd for Hale and Selena.

"Adision," my 'father' sighed patiently, "please look at me when I'm speaking to you."

"But I'm listening."

"Did you honestly go to Las Vegas for the day instead of Magix like you told me?"

"There were a lot of paparazzi in Magix."

"That may be, but there are plenty of better places to go on Earth. Rome, for example, is very beautiful this time of year."

I finally turned around and looked at him, putting on a fake smile. "Dad, it was the last concert before Farewell Fighters disbanded. And since we couldn't get tickets, Hale took me there to try and catch them walking around the Strip."

Who knew what number lie that was when it came to going behind Sky's back, but he always bought them. And this time was no different.

He smiled, before giving me a hug and kissing me on the forehead. "Well, that's a relief on my part," he chuckled. I did my best not to shudder. "But Adision, please let me know when you're going to do things like that. I worry about you."

"I know you do."

As he pulled back, he caught sight of my emerald ring shimmering in the light. "What're you wearing that for, honey? Honestly, what's so special about that ring?"

I froze. "Well…"

"There you are." I sighed inwardly as Hale came into view, dressed sharply in a black suit. Behind him was Stella's daughter Selena, dressed a gorgeous black and red floor-length dress – the bodice was black and the skirt dark red with black roses.

I grinned at the red streak in her blonde hair; we never did figure out how she and Stella were related. "We were looking for you, Addy," Selena said, draping an arm around my shoulder and smiling politely at Sky. "Is it alright if we borrow her, Your Highness?"

Sky nodded, a small smile on his face. "Go ahead. Have fun. And Selena, does your mother know you did that to your hair?"

"Of course," she called over her shoulder, already dragging me away. The moment we were out of earshot, the three of us burst out laughing. "Wow," Selena said, glancing back over her shoulder, "you are a terrible liar, my dear."

"He obviously doesn't know that," I said, trying – and failing miserably – to contain my laughter.

"Is Farewell Fighter even together anymore?" Hale asked.

"No," I snorted, the three of us grabbing champagne flutes from a passing waiter. "I found it on Mom's old iPod like a month ago."

"Nice. So how'd it go today?" Unlike Hale, Selena was extremely supportive of me trying to bring back the mystery man of my past.

"Horrible," I said, taking a sip of champagne. It had a buttery taste to it that I immediately liked.

"Extremely," Hale added. "All we got was a lot of heat and some crazy lady who almost made us late."

"Obviously," Selena snickered, examining my dress. "You look like a piece of coral in the Solarian Royal Aquarium."

"Shut up, this was the first thing I pulled out of my closet."

Selena shrugged, taking a large gulp of champagne. Her glass was already half-empty. "Fine. Are you guys ready to ditch and head upstairs? Everyone's already there; Delilah's got snacks, Justin's hooking up the DJ system…"

Out of the corner of my eye, I spied a smaller figure leaning against one of the columns in the ballroom, his face a pout. "I-I'll catch up in a minute, guys."

Hale followed my gaze and then nodded, squeezing my shoulder briefly. "We'll see you up there."

As I approached, the ten-year-old boy caught sight of me. I saw him roll his eyes a little, but I did my best to ignore it. "Hey, Johnny."

"Hi," he said, a slight bitterness to his voice. "What're you doing?"

"I was just seeing what you were doing. You usually like these parties."

"No I don't," Jonathan said, not sounding very interested in me. "I just go with it." I shrugged. He looked at me again, his blonde bangs falling in front of his eyes a little. A small smirk spread across his face. "Dad's mad at you."

I sighed a little. "He's always mad at me." He didn't reply to that, only continued to smirk. "What?" I asked finally, knowing I was probably playing right into his hands.

"I was just thinking… why does Dad like me best?" I could tell by the look on his face that the question was meant to get under my skin, but I honestly couldn't care less.

"Because I don't listen to him twenty-four seven like _some people_." Here, I shot him what was supposed to be a withering look. Since he was only ten, it flew right over his head. "He can't control me for my whole life, and it's about time he learned that."

"Please," he replied, looking confident, "he's just going to marry you off to a guy twice your age."

"I'd love to see the bastard try."

"It's a shame you can't take over Eraklyon," Jonathan said absently. "You might make a good queen."

"And who do I have to thank for that?" I said, staring daggers at him.

"Hey, calm down, _sis_." Jonathan held his hands up, still smirking. "I'm just making a joke. Can't your little brother do that?"

"Sure, a little brother can do that. But _you_ are nothing but a smart-ass I'm forced to put up. And I personally can't wait until I don't have to deal with you anymore."

For a second, his face was set in absolute shock, but it quickly disintegrated to a mix of anger and self-assurance. "I'm telling Mom and Dad."

"Go ahead," I said, turning on my heels. "My punishment can't get any worse."

"I… I'm their favorite!" Jonathan exclaimed, glaring at me. "I'm the gift!"

I stopped for a second and looked back at my brother. "Your name may mean 'gift of God', but I'll tell you something; you were named out of irony."

* * *

><p>"<em>Another whack-job fortune teller? Wow, Adision, you are just brilliant at this."<em>

_I glanced around the theater room, trying to see though the shadows. I caught sight of the digital clock on the wall. The time, three-thirty AM, glowed dully, the only real light in the dark room. Selena was asleep in the beanbag chair next to me, and Hale was stretched out across three foldout chairs. Everyone else had left for the night, so I had no idea who was talking. "M… Mom?" I asked, still groggy._

_There was a small laugh. "Not even close. Over here."_

_I turned in the direction of the voice, and what I saw jerked me awake a little. Sitting on one of the theater chairs was a girl, maybe about my age, with reddish-blonde hair tied up in a ponytail and light green eyes. Her long legs were sprawled across the arm of the chair, her hands laced behind her head. She didn't look like anyone who worked here either, dressed in black skinny jeans and a pink and silver tee. In fact, I didn't recognize her at all. "Um… hi?"_

_She lifted a hand, encased in a black fingerless glove, and wiggled her fingers. "Morning. Well, still night, I guess, but that's beside the point. We're here to talk about you, and your not-so-brilliant plan."_

_I glanced over at Hale, who was still asleep, and then back to her. "Do I… do I know you?"_

"_Sure you do," she replied easily. Her voice was light and singsong-y. "You've seen me before. I'm the random person you bump into on the street, the young teenage intern working at Starbucks, talking on her phone in the hallways at Alfea…"_

"_A stalker?" I cut her off. "Or better yet, a dream. I'm dreaming, right?"_

_The girl shrugged. "I could throw a book at you and find out."_

_I stared at her for a second. "Okay, this makes no sense. I've never seen you before in my life."_

"_But you've heard of me," she shot back, her eyes glancing over my sweat pants and T-shirt. "Wow, and I was supposedly less pretty? Go figure."_

"_Who are you?" I repeated._

_She sighed a little. "Come on Adision, you know that. You asked about me all the time."_

"_To whom?"_

"_To… You know what, that's not important right now. We are here to talk about you."_

_By now, I was pretty confident that this was just a dream, the result of too much alcohol. I turned over and nestled into the pillows, already feeling drowsy. "That's great, but I'm… tired. Try again in the…" I yawned "morning."_

_I head what sounded like a disgruntled sigh, then after a few seconds, I felt the covers being ripped off my body. I gasped in surprise and flipped around. The girl stood over me, a scowl on her face. "_Now_, smart-ass. I'm not a pretty little fantasy that's going to disappear with some Holy Water like my father. It takes more to get rid of family. Get up. I've got some major yelling to do at you."_

"_Okay, okay, I'm listening, I'm–" I stopped short as I registered what she'd said. "Family?"_

_The scowl turned into a thoughtful look. "Well, kind of. Not really. You keep getting me off-topic."_

"_Well, what _is_ the topic?"_

"_You didn't hear me the first time? I'm hear to talk to you about the psychotic lady you oh-so-smartly gave your name to."_

"_Sky? Well, unfortunately we're related by blood, so…"_

_A small smirk crossed her face. "I said _lady_."_

"Yes you did," I replied, standing up and stretching. "What lady are you referring to?"

"_Bridgette."_

_My arm stopped halfway above my head. I looked at the girl in front of me for a second and then let out a groan. "Oh no. This is definitely a dream. First Hale, then Selena, and now my… conscience is coming to me in my dreams. I get it, okay? Bad Adision, don't talk to strangers without a résumé." _

_The girl rolled her eyes at me. "I am _not_ your conscience."_

I looked down at her as a flicker caught my eye. "Your arm's transparent."

"_What? I… damn it…" She sighed, running her other arm though the fading one. "I still can't do that correctly? I've only been trying for like thirty years!"_

"_Look I just–" I stopped mid-sentence again, staring at her in wonder. "Thirty years? You look like you're fifteen."_

"_I know. I…"_

"_And why would you refer to me as family?"_

"_I…"_

"_I've had enough games in my life, and for once I want some goddamn answers! Who are you?"_

"_I'm Isa-"_

"Adision!"

My eyes snapped open. I sat up quickly and looked around the room. There was Hale, Selena, just like they'd been before. I turned toward the chair where the mystery girl had been sitting, but it was empty.

"Adision!" I heard my name again. Selena glared at me, her head propped up on her hand. "Turn off your bloody phone," she hissed. "It's three-thirty in the morning, for Christ's sake."

Three thirty. Just like in the dream. "Sorry," I whispered, reaching across the floor and picking it up off the ground. As soon as the carpet didn't muffle the speaker, it started blaring out my ring-tone. I quickly pressed Accept Call just to shut it up. The moment it stopped, Selena dropped back to the ground, going right back to sleep. I put the annoying device to my ear. "Hello?"

"Adision, right?"

"…Yeah. Who's this?"

"Bridgette."

I sat up straight. "What?"

There was an annoyed sound on the other end of the line. "You couldn't have forgotten me that fast."

"No," I said, shaking my head, desperate to clear it from my drowsy daze. "I just… how did you get my phone number?"

There was a pause. "You gave it to me."

I couldn't remember if I actually had or not, but I decided to go with it. "Why are you calling me? It's three in the morning."

"Its six here." She replied, not sounding sorry for waking me. "Anyway, I have fantastic news."

_The crazy bin decided to take you?_ "What?"

"I got you in with my friend. She can see you in a hour."

Immediately, I turned my gaze to Hale. He was wrapped up in a blanket, sprawled across an old leather couch. I thought about the clearly suspicious look he'd had the second we'd met Bridgette. "Really?" I asked, still looking at Hale.

"Hmph. You don't sound very excited."

That snapped me out of my daze a little. "I just… why should I trust you?"

"Because I'm offering you what you've always wanted. Wouldn't you be happy to get that? Come on Adision," she said when I still didn't respond, "don't you want your father back?"

I didn't take my eyes off Hale. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

* * *

><p>"I'm extremely sorry about Bridgette. She tends to… blow things a bit out of proportion."<p>

"That's alright," I replied, absently stirring the tea the woman had been nice enough to give me to help me wake up. We were sitting in what I assumed was her hotel room. Bridgette had met me outside, but promptly disappeared after that, leaving me with my mysterious new friend. "I'm very happy she convinced you to talk to me."

"Oh, don't worry about that. Your story was intriguing, I know that much," she replied, a smile on her face, though something about it set me on edge a little. "Now, you were looking for your father, I was told."

"Yes. Well, not exactly," I stammered a little. "He's not my biological father, but I always considered him my father. And once he left…"

She nodded sympathetically. "I see. Now, when you say you want him back, you mean…"

"Living," I replied immediately. "In the flesh. Not a ghost or something, but real."

The woman's lips pursed. "I see why you've been having trouble. What you're asking for isn't easy."

I sighed a little. "I know."

"Now, if you had something that could connect me to him a little – a hair sample, an heirloom, maybe an article of clothing…"

Almost automatically, I reached down and removed the silver and emerald ring from my finger. "I have this," I said, holding it out to her. "Part of his essence is on there from an attempt at the bracelet method of teleportation. It's… the only thing I have."

Surprisingly, she snatched it out of my hands, looking it over. The dimness of the room kept me from seeing the expression on her face. "I see…"

After a moment, I carefully set the cup of tea down. "I lose most people here. They say they don't have the power to… you know."

"As they should," the woman replied. I still couldn't get a good look at her face; her pale blonde hair was falling in front of it, covering it from sight. "It takes a great amount of not just power, but self-sacrifice, to do this. I'm sure much of the reason people have been unwilling," she continued, finally lifting her gaze to me, "is based on your age. What would a fifteen-year-old know about that?"

Her reaction didn't surprise me (since she was kind of right – a lot of people asked me that). "I've learned from… family."

She looked at me for a moment. "Your mother, was it?"

My eyes widened a little. "Yeah… it was."

She nodded sympathetically. I was starting to think psychics should add split personality to their job descriptions. First Bridgette, and now this woman whose name I didn't even know. The more I sat here, the more I started to think that Hale was right. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. Maybe–

"I can do it."

If I'd had the teacup in my hand, I was fairly certain I would've dropped it. "You what?"

She smirked at me. "I can get him back. It might take a little more power than I'm used to, but it's not impossible. However," she continued, stomping out the small flicker of warmth in my chest, "it might take a little… more, on your part."

I fisted my hand into the skirt of my dark purple and black shift dress. "What does that mean?"

"That depends. How far do you want to take this? Do you just want him back?"

I laughed – a short, sharp thing that barely counted as a laugh. "Just to have Sky do some other whacked-out thing and drive my mother even closer to going over the edge? No thank you."

She nodded, as though it was exactly what she wanted to hear. "Well, if you want to give her that happily ever after, I can only think of one thing."

"…And that is?"

"Simple," she said, leaning back in her chair. "Change time."

I felt my breath catch in my throat. Of course, with all of the research into the paranormal that I did, I often came across different lunatic theories: vampires, mermaids, the Bermuda triangle… So of course I'd heard time-travel theories. I just never thought anyone would agree with it, much less say they could do it.

"It seems to me," she continued, taking a sip of her own drink, "that your best option would be to set your father free here, and then go back and change everything else, so that on the off chance you fail, you can do it again."

"Wait… what do you mean 'if I fail'? What am I doing?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it obvious? If your mother's mistake was marrying this… Sky person, you need to prevent her from doing it."

"What? Stop an Eraklyon wedding? Are you crazy? My mother told me about her wedding. There was a shit load of security. There's no way I could get in there to get her out, much less cover for it."

But she was shaking her head again. "You're still lost. Your mother wouldn't be getting married. You would have to go and take her place. You'd have to marry Sky instead."

I'm ninety percent sure my heart stopped. I felt the ground slip from under me, even though I was sitting in a chair. I gripped the edge of the table, even though I didn't need to. "I… what?"

The woman raised an eyebrow. "With your obvious determination, it doesn't seem like that much of a problem."

"I… you don't…" Suddenly my legs worked again, and I was out of my chair pacing back and forth in the small room, the heels of my boots breaking the almost eerie silence. "When I said… Sky is – technically – my father. Not by anything but blood, but in that little way. I… I don't know if I could…"

"You made it quite clear that your mother's happiness was the only thing you cared about."

I dug my nails into my skirt again. "Well I didn't know I'd ever have to worry about _this_!"

She leaned back, watching me with curiosity. "The final choice is yours. I'll do what I can to help you."

"_Help_?" I spat, glaring at her. "Your idea of _help_ is marrying me off to an inconsiderate bastard who's tried his best to make my life miserable for the last ten years?" I reached down and grabbed my black shoulder bag from the ground. "No thanks. I'll find my own help."

I was halfway to the door when the woman spoke again. Her voice was soft, and had an almost devilish quality to it. "Would Baltor appreciate you giving up on him so easily?"

_Baltor_. That name sent a kind of jolt through my body, making me stop dead in my tracks. Like a spell had washed over me, making me forget everything except what that name meant. Memories rushed back to me – little fragments of conversations I'd managed to keep in my head that now had intricate meanings. I remembered laughing, the sarcastic remarks, the story about a girl and a Goblin King.

And I also remembered the crying.

I turned to look back at the woman. She had a devilish smirk on her face I wouldn't have trusted if my emotions were anywhere close to in check. "You know that name, don't you?" she asked like she already knew the answer. When I didn't respond, she reached into one of her long sleeves and pulled out a long silver chain. From the end of it dangled a small vial filled with a clear liquid. "Half of this," she continued, motioning for me to come and take it from her, "will break the wards on your home and allow your father… _Baltor_, to return home. The other half you drink. It'll put you exactly where you need to be, and exactly in your mother's place. You'll look like her, talk like her, and everything else."

I stared at the small object, still mute. She took my hand and forced it closed around the vial. "How…how can I be sure it'll bring him back?"

"I'll sense it. I'm true to my word, Adision. Think about it."

With that, she turned and walked over to the windows, not looking back. Her stance told me that was my cue to leave. And I did…after securing the chain around my neck.

I never did get her name.

Outside, the air seemed cooler, more relaxed. There were no secrets being held in it, and it calmed me down. I took a few deep breaths, leaning against the wall near the door. I felt safe for the first time that day.

"It's about time you came out of there."

The voice didn't belong to Bridgette, as I half expected it to be. When I opened my eyes, I found a figure in front of me, dressed in sky blue-dyed jeans and a black T-Shirt with the Apple logo on it. His dark brown hair was sticking up in every way possible.

"Come on," Hale said, his face cold. "Let's get something to eat."

* * *

><p>I expected a hurricane. Hurricane Hale, to be exact. I was waiting for the blow up, the melt down, the lecture of 'what-the-bloody-hell-were-you-thinking' that would fade into Danish or Spanish or whatever language he was learning at the moment. I expected the reaction of over-protectiveness that I'd come to know in my best friend.<p>

Instead, we walked to the local mall in the city, ordered some greasy breakfast sandwiches and iced coffee from a kiosk, and ate them in silence. He popped in his earphones, his head bouncing to a beat I could hear as clearly as if the music was being blasted in _my_ ears.

By the time we were done, the area around us was crammed with shoppers seeking a quick snack before hitting the sales. Eventually, we got up and started wandering around aimlessly, still neither of us speaking.

"Do you have classes today?" I asked finally, desperate to hear something other than bits of conversation from passersby.

He looked over at me and nodded, after a few seconds' hesitation. "My combat class started an hour ago."

"Hale, I –"

"The professor owes me a favor. Forget about it."

It was silent again. "So… is Selena ok?"

"She was asleep when I left."

"Oh."

We turned into one of the halls leading to the parking lot. The noise died down a little. "So," he said, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye. "What happened?"

I shifted my bag to the other shoulder. "She said she could do it."

This was another point where I expected a blow-up. I was wrong again. "Really?" Hale asked, sounding surprised. "For free?"

"No duh. Everything has a price, Hale."

"And what is it?"

"…High. But I was thinking, maybe if we got Selena, the three of us could find a loophole and–"

"No."

I stopped dead in my tracks, raising an eyebrow. "No? You didn't even hear what I had to say."

"When it started with 'I think' I knew it was bad."

I bit my lip. "Hale–"

He punched his fist against the wall, his mask of calm finally fading away. "Fuck, Adision," he swore, his eyes tightly shut. "Do you have any idea how much you scared me? Do you know what I thought?"

There it was. The calm before the storm melting away. The total fury didn't startle me as much as I'd expected.

"You're running in circles," he said, finally turning to look me in the eyes. I thought I saw his eyes watering, but it must have been a trick of the light.

"But it's different –"

"Well, what the hell do you think you're going to accomplish this time? Or the next? I've heard heart attacks are _loads_ of fun. The records say that's how my real father died."

"Hale, listen–"

"No, _you_ listen," he snapped, his eyes betraying the total depth of his fury. He took a deep breath, but I could tell he was still mad by the way his fists were clenched. "Give up," he finally said, his tone cold. "Give it up, Adision. I don't know what you think you saw when you were a kid, but it's gone. Dead. You're fighting a losing battle, and I'm sick of it."

"But with this Sky and I–"

"Sky is your father. And though I know you don't believe it, he really does love you, and your mother, and Jonathan. Honestly Addy," he continued, "is this worth it?"

His words stung, but I did my best to try and keep any smart remarks in my head. "Hale, you don't understand – I was right. He _is_ real. I know so much now. His name is Baltor, and she can bring him back. Why don't you see how great that is?"

"Because I know those people," he replied. "They never do things like this without a price." He stared at me with a gaze I couldn't read. "You said it was bad. How bad?"

My stomach lurched as the woman's words came floating back into my head. _ You have to take her place at the wedding. You have to marry your father instead_. "It's… really bad. And Hale, that's where I really need you help."

He stared at me for a moment, a look of bewilderment on his face. "No," he finally said. "I've had enough. Figure this one out on your own, since you obviously don't need me anymore."

"Hale…"

"No, no, no," he insisted, already turning around and heading down the corridor, "don't let me stop you. Go ahead; have fun selling your soul. Send me a postcard from the Underworld, if you can. Try to find one with a picture of the Fates on it."

This was not the reaction I had been expecting. "Please, you don't understand–"

"I've never understood. You always tell me that."

I folded my arms across my chest, tears stinging at the corner of my eyes. "What the hell is your problem? After all of this, you're just giving up? Why? Why now?"

He stopped, and turned around to face me. His face was blank, but in his eyes I could see what looked like longing. "My problem?" he asked, his voice soft and strained. "_Jeg er forelsket. Med dig._ That's my problem."

I didn't even have time to ask what he meant before he turned and started walking away again, leaving me alone.

* * *

><p>I sat in one of the large leather chairs in the library, staring at the small liquid-filled vial I'd been given earlier that day. The thin silver chain was around my neck as I swung the vial back and forth, my mind swirling as much as the liquid inside it. I finally let it drop to rest in the hollow part of my collarbone.<p>

_What_ was I going to do?

"Adision?"

I jumped at the sound of a voice, shoving the necklace under my shirt so only the chain was visible. Then I turned around in the chair, my eyes scanning the area before resting on a figure in the doorway, her bright red hair pulled up in a high ponytail. "Mom," I breathed, putting a hand to my chest in an attempt to slow down my now rapidly beating heart. "You scared me."

She gave me a small smile. Over the years, Mom's appearance had changed very little. She didn't eat very often (that I knew of), so unlike Flora or any of the other girls, she was pretty much the exact same size she'd been when I was little. She hadn't dyed her hair at all, and her eyesight was still perfect. Looking at my mother was like getting a glimpse of my future – what I would look like in ten years.

"Sorry, honey, I didn't mean to scare you. You're usually not in here."

"I… wanted to be alone with my thoughts, I guess. Hale and I had a fight."

She raised an eyebrow. "Are we talking about the same Hale? The one you've been friends with since you were five years old? Tall, gangly, can't-draw-to-save-his-life Hale?"

I bit back a laugh. "Yes, that Hale."

"What were you two arguing about?"

I froze a little. "Oh just… something I wanted to do this weekend, and he thought it was a bad idea. And it's really not, it's just… complicated."

"Life's pretty complicated, sweetie." Mom replied, walking over and perching herself on the arm of my chair. "But people fight all the time. Maybe you should talk with him a little more about it. I'm sure you can find a good compromise."

I smiled to myself. _If only it was that simple_. "Maybe. Where's Sk– Dad?"

She gave me a look, but didn't comment on my little slip. "He and Jonathan are going to Red Fountain. He's giving a lecture to some of the freshman, and your brother wanted to go along. Speaking of which," she said, getting up and going over to the large oak desk, "when is _your_ spring break over? I thought you were supposed to be back at Alfea by now."

"We got an extra week. Ms. Griselda's granddaughter's in the hospital, so…"

"Right," Mom murmured. I could tell she had barely paid attention to what I'd said.

Subconsciously, I reached into my shirt and retrieved the necklace, tapping the side of the vial with one of my purple-painted nails, the hollow pings to soft to be heard. And before I even thought about it, I was talking. "Mom, do you remember that imaginary friend I had when I was little?"

I watched her eyes widen as she jerked her hand. The pen she was holding dragged across the page, messing up whatever she was writing. "Oh hell," she muttered before she addressed me, her voice sounding too hard to be nonchalant. "You know, I don't remember that much, honey. I know you always talked to it."

I nodded, watching her carefully. "Do you remember why I stopped talking to him?"

"You… grew up, I suppose. Once you met Hale and you and Selena made up, you kind of… pushed it aside."

"Him," I corrected her. "It was a 'him'."

She gave a small strained laugh. "If you say so."

I looked at her for a few seconds, twisting the chain around my finger. "His name was Baltor, wasn't it?"

Mom took a deep breath, squeezing her eyes shut. "It might have been."

My stomach tightened. Oddly enough, this was one of the reasons I loved my mother. Despite everything that had happened over the years, she was still strong – even for me, when she didn't have to be. "Mom," I began, deciding I needed to tell her the truth.

"There you two are."

I saw Mom cringe a little, and I dug my nails into the leather seat of the chair to calm myself down a little upon hearing Sky's voice. We both realized he'd probably been listening to us this whole time.

"I thought Jonathan came in here to say goodbye before we left," he said, a smile on his face as he looked back and forth between mother and daughter. His eyes, however, were anything but friendly. "I guess I was wrong. He must be in the hangar already."

Mom nodded, smiling much like Sky was. "You're right, though. I should go and find him before he leaves."

Sky nodded. "You do that. Did you get those papers from the Solarian Court yet?"

She held up the papers she'd been writing on. "Signed and ready. Do they need them back? I'd be more than happy to go and drop them off on Solaria."

He opened his mouth to speak, but his tone changed as he seemed to remember that I was in the room. "That's alright, dear. I'll just take them with me now and give them to Brandon. He told me he was going to be at Red Fountain this weekend too."

I saw my mother's expression darken. "Well, alright then. I'll just go and find Jonathan." With that, she stood up from the desk and walked out, pausing only to kiss my cheek and shove the papers into Sky's hands.

When the door closed, Sky turned his attention to me, his expression still attempting to be kind. "What were you two talking about?"

I gave a small smile, still gripping the chair. "Just about stuff when I was little. Toys and crap."

He nodded, going over and picking some more papers up off the desk. "Did I hear you talking about that imaginary friend you used to have? God… no offense, Addy, but that thing was a little… different. I mean, I personally didn't have a problem with it, but your mother was so glad when you finally gave it up."

I don't know why, but something inside me snapped at that comment. Watching this man who was treating my mother like a prisoner talk so simply about the way he'd ruined everything set my blood on fire. I looked down at the vial around my neck, and it suddenly seemed as though all my answers were contained in it.

I stood up abruptly, catching his attention. "I promised Hale I'd call him. We wanted to do something tonight."

Sky chuckled a little. "No more trips to Vegas, okay?"

I felt myself smile a little. "What are you going to do if I do? Lock me up like Mom?"

I heard the rustling of papers stop. "What?" he asked, turning to look at me.

My eyes narrowed. "I," I said after a few seconds, "am not stupid. I have a memory, mind you. And I know what happened. And all I have to say is that you'd better watch yourself, because the 'happily ever after' ends tonight."

I left the room before he could regain his voice and reply.

* * *

><p>It had to be around midnight when I returned to the library, hiding out on the second floor balcony, looking down at my mother. She was at the desk again, papers fanned across its surface. Her hand however, wasn't moving. The only way I knew she was awake was from the sound of her tapping the pen against the desk.<p>

_Hang in there, Mom_.

I carefully removed the vial from my neck and popped open the lid. The faint smell of lavender and blood oranges wafted over my nostrils. I glanced down at the liquid inside. It looked harmless enough, but there was still something about it that made me nervous.

My hand ran against the molding on the bottom of the wall, feeling the dusty place where it met the carpeted balcony. It was now or never. Before I lost my nerve, I poured about half the vial out onto the side of the wall.

I don't know what I expected – fireworks, loud hissing, fire – just… _something_. But all the liquid did was seep into the floor and disappear. I ran my hand along the area again. It was as bone dry as before.

"Nothing," I said to myself, somewhat angrily, standing up and brushing stray hairs off my dark pink skinny jeans. "What a surprise. After all of this, why would it–"

From downstairs, I heard my mom scream.

I spun around and was immediately blinded. The bottom of the walls all around the library were glowing like neon signs, constantly changing colors. I saw Mom's hand reach under the desk, and a second later, there was a black object in her hand, that I recognized as a handgun. She'd probably stashed it there for safekeeping. Or, now that I thought about it, maybe for keeping Sky away from her.

The color of the walls was now a dark black that somehow illuminated the whole room. The wards were breaking; the strong ring around the castle that had cast my childhood out was crumbling in front of my eyes. I found myself grinning.

A loud bang sounded from somewhere. After a few seconds, I heard it again. And then a loud, high-pitched wail ripped through the room as the wards around the walls turned blazing white. I covered my ears and shut my eyes tightly, still clutching the vial.

There was a loud crash, a male scream, and then the brightness that shone even through my eyelids disappeared with the noise.

Cautiously, I opened my eyes, still crouched behind the banisters on the balcony. Looking down, I found my mother pretty much below me, her eyes staring straight ahead. As I followed her gaze, I saw the desk she'd been sitting at previously lying in shambles, papers strewn all over the ground. I looked around, wondering what cracked it.

There was a sound between a grunt and a moan, and then I realized it wasn't _what_ had ruined it – it was _who._

It had been hard to see at first, but now that my eyes weren't seeing stars, I could make out the outline of a human figure on the desk. His long, red blonde hair was splayed out in all directions, a deep burgundy coat covering his dark pants and old-fashioned-looking vest. After a second, he reached out a gloved hand and gripped his shoulder, a pained look on his face. "Bloody hell, that hurt…" The moment he finished his thought, his eyes snapped open, bright gold and shell-shocked. "…that _hurt_…"

My mother raised the gun and pointed it in the direction of the desk. "Who's there?" she called, her voice strong. "Show yourself now!"

"It _hurt_," he repeated wondrously. "I can feel it. How is that possible?"

The barrier of light momentarily flickered, trying to come back to life. I poured a few drops on the dully-glowing wall, and it flickered off with a small pop. My mother's head jerked up to where I was, and I had to duck back into the shadows.

Apparently, that was her breaking point; I heard a distinct click of the gun being clocked. A second later there was a loud bang, and a few books in the case behind the desk exploded, more paper flying around. "This isn't a joke! I _order _you to show yourself!"

The man, who'd been examining his arms to see if they were intact, stopped short. He turned in the direction of the voice, his eyes growing even wider. "Bloom?"

The way he said her name made me shiver. It sounded like a violating caress, laced with a deep affection and a bit of wonder. Explaining it was impossible, but it was undeniably beautiful.

My mom seemed to recognize it, too. The gun fell to the floor, and this look washed over her face, something I'd never seen on her. "No."

I knew then that the man had to be Baltor. Even as he stood, brushing stray chunks of wood off his clothes, I began to recognize him more and more – from dreams, memories of my childhood, and the odd sketch my mother drew on the corner of a page. It was Baltor.

The look on my mother's face only further confirmed my theory. She was staring at him in complete shock, tears falling down her face. "Those lights were the barriers breaking. You managed to get through it. You–" She stopped short, taking a few deep breaths.

Baltor looked close to tears himself, but he managed to keep them at bay. "I didn't do anything," he said softly, walking towards her – slowly, like she was an illusion. "One second I'm trapped in Obsidian, thinking I'm never going to get out, and suddenly… I'm here. I thought you might have done something–"

"And I thought _you _might have," my mom said back, a small smile crossing her face. "But the Dragon Fire… I feel it. I know, and…" Her breath hitched, and she threw her arms around his neck. "I can't believe it's you."

I had to fight back my own tears as Baltor wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly against him. He was whispering something in her ear, but I couldn't hear it. And after a few seconds, Mom drew her head back and pressed her lips against his. I smiled at the sight, squeezing the vial so tightly I was surprised it hadn't broken.

_ The vial._

Immediately, the wave of happiness around me fell away. My father was back, and now… I had to keep my end of the deal. I had to go back; I had to set things right.

And looking at my mother now… there was no way I could back out on my part.

As quietly as I could, I stood up and backed away from the edge of the landing, reaching behind me to open a door that led out of the library. I couldn't hear anything anymore. With a small sigh, I turned around.

"There you are, Addy."

I jumped about a mile in the air. Standing in the hallway was the last person I'd ever expected to see.

"Um… hey," Hale said, raising a hand in an innocent gesture.

"…Hi," I said, my voice a whisper. _Shit_. "What're you doing here?" I kept my voice low, considering I was still in the doorframe between the hall and the library.

"Well, to be honest, I felt really bad about what I said earlier. But then I got here and… what the heck was that?"

"What was what?" I asked, still keeping my voice down.

"Did you see the walls? This place was glowing like a firework. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry. That was my fault."

"I didn't try to touch it and–" He cut off mid sentence. "Wait, _what_? _You_ did that?"

I ran my finger down the length of the vial. "…Yes."

Hale gave me a look. "Adision, what's wrong?"

Tears were stinging at the back of my eyes. "I told you, I found a way to get my father back. And I did."

He knew by my voice that wasn't the end of it. "What did you do?"

"I… I…" I shut my eyes tightly.

"Adision." Hale's face was set in a look of mild fear. He took a step towards me, but I took one back. He took one forward, and I took another one back. "Addy," he said, his voice surprisingly calm. "Talk to me."

I glanced over the railing at Mom and Baltor. They weren't paying enough attention to notice me. "I'm sorry Hale," I said, raising the vial to show him.

I don't know what he thought it was, but he obviously assumed the worse by the way his face paled. "Adision," he said slowly, holding out a hand. "Give me that."

"Bridgette's friend gave it to me."

"Another reason to give it to me."

"Hale." My voice was still a whisper as I motioned to my parents with a slight nod of my head. "I did it."

He glanced over the rails, but stopped short when he saw Baltor. For a moment, there was nothing but silence. "That's him?"

"That's him. And by drinking this," I raised the vial again, "I make sure he stays."

He looked back at me. "What does it do?"

I balled my hands into fists. "Trust me."

Hale gave me a long look. I couldn't meet his gaze, so I just shut my eyes tightly, trying not to cry. I felt his arms go around me in a hug. "Do you know what I yelled at you this morning in Danish?" I shook my head against him, not returning the embrace. "Good," I heard him mutter, exhaling in what sounded like relief.

I was about to ask why, but suddenly his arms tightened around me. "Bloom!" Hale yelled, loud enough for my mother to hear. "Help me!"

My eyes snapped open. "Hale, no!"

"Adision?" I heard my mother say. I assumed she was looking at me. "Sweetie, I–"

"Let me go!" I yelled, trying to push myself away from Hale. "Hale, stop it! You're ruining everything!"

"She has some kind of drug!" he yelled to my mother. "She got it from a fortune teller! It just caused the firework show here. Help me get the vial!"

"No!" I screamed, louder. I kept struggling, especially when I felt Hale's fingertips reach for the vial. "You can't!"

"Just… give it to me! Addy, please, I lo– "

Just then, I got one of my arms free, elbowing Hale with all my strength, and I finally managed to get away from him. And before I could even think about it, I raised the vial to my lips and gulped it down.

My mother yelled my name. A gloved hand reached out to touch my shoulder. I could see Hale reach for me. I saw everything around me, but I felt like I was being dragged away from it all. The world was suddenly too bright, and I was too tired. I dropped to the ground as I felt the world slip from me.

The last thing I thought I heard was Hale saying the word 'love'.


	2. Chapter 2: Hale & Adision

"Do you have any idea where she might have gone, Hale?"

We were still in the library – 'we' being me, Adision's mother, and the man I assumed was Baltor. Bloom was sitting in the chair across from me, looking a little lost. Because of that, Baltor was doing most of the talking. Of course, 'talking' was more like questioning me. However, he didn't make it sound like it was my fault, something that immediately made me like him more than Sky. "I don't know," I said, blinking rapidly. (My contacts were killing me.) "For all I know, it was poison."

"No," Baltor said, pacing the length of the room. "The light around her meant she was being transported. But that strong… it had to have been a long distance."

"How far are you thinking?" Bloom asked, still looking off into space. I'd never seen her like this before.

"Who knows? She could be as far as Omega, for all we know."

"Can you guys track the spell?" I asked.

"We'd need a remainder of some kind," Baltor said, shaking his head a little. "Whatever the liquid was, what it was contained in…"

Bloom seemed to snap out of it a little. "Where did she even get it?"

There was a little tingle at the back of mind, willing me to remember. "I remember she had it somewhere," I found myself saying out loud. "I know… it was recently…"

"How recent?" Bloom asked.

"Hang on…" I pressed my fingers to my temples, trying to focus. "It's there somewhere, I know it."

While I was thinking, I saw Bloom's gaze drift off again. I watched as Baltor came up behind her and laid his hands on her shoulders, kissing the top of her head. "We'll find her," I heard him whisper, so not to distract me.

She gave a faint nod, leaning back against him. "Of all the nights… when you finally came back…"

It hit me then, right in the face; I'd seen that vial on her neck this morning, when I'd found her at that hotel with Bridgette's friend. If I hadn't been so furious, maybe I would've noticed it sooner. And if Bridgette had given it to her, there could've been a number of different (and terrifying) scenarios for where she was. "Damn whore," I cursed.

Bloom's head snapped up. "Excuse me?"

"Bridgette!" I exclaimed, smacking my palm against my forehead. "How could I have been so stupid, letting her go there?"

"What are you talking about?" Bloom said at the same time Baltor asked, "Who's Bridgette?"

"She's a psychic we found on Earth a few days ago."

Bloom nodded. "Sky mentioned you two went there. He seemed upset, though I just disregarded it as him PMSing."

I smirked a little. "But she told Adision that she had a friend who could bring Baltor back. When I got up this morning I found out she'd already gone to see her. If anyone knows where she is, it's Bridgette."

"An Earth psychic," Baltor muttered under his breath, shaking his head. "What was she thinking?"

"She was _thinking_ that she missed you. Both of you," I said, gesturing to Bloom. "Adision always said she wanted you to have a better life. She remembered everything about the night Sky lost it; she watched it all from this same balcony. She just wanted you to be happy. And to have her father back."

I watched a slightly guilty look pass over both of their faces. Something in the back of my mind told me I should feel a little bad about the way I'd phrased it, but I didn't care very much at the moment.

Baltor was the one to break the silence. "Where can we find this woman?"

"The last I knew, she was in Las Vegas, down at Caesar's Palace for some sort of psychics' convention."

Bloom stood up abruptly. "How did you get here, Hale?"

"The magic transport system. The guards let me in."

"Surprising," she muttered before turning to look at me again. "Okay, there's a portal upstairs I'm going to open. More than likely there are alarms on it, so you and Baltor keep the guards busy. You have a Phantom Blade?"

I patted my side pocket. "Never leave home without it."

She gave a small but genuine smile for the first time that night. "Good. Do me a favor and jam the doors for me."

I knew Adision enough to understand Bloom, and 'go jam the doors' meant 'leave me alone for a few minutes to talk'. So with a brisk nod, I turned and headed up toward the balcony; one of the side doors was there, and the guards would most likely try get though it first. But even then, I could hear their voices.

"You know how to work that now?" Baltor was asking, sounding surprised.

"Well after eleven years of house arrest, you tend to get a little bored."

There was a few seconds' pause. "He really kept to his word on that."

"He kept to his word on everything. The locking me up, keeping a close eye on Adision…"

"The heir?" Baltor asked, his voice sour.

I glanced over my shoulder. Baltor was on the arm of the chair, Bloom's head in his lap as he combed his fingers though her hair. "Yeah," she said quietly. "That too."

I watched his hand freeze. "I see…"

I turned back and focused on jamming the lock of the door. It was eerily quiet, and for the first time, I felt the true annoyance Adision had towards Jonathan. At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to take the little brat and throw him off the side of Red Fountain.

Finally, Bloom's voice reached my ears. "I'm sorry."

There was a sigh. "No, don't say that. You didn't have a choice…"

"I never thought I'd see you again."

"Trust me darling, I didn't either." He wound a piece of Bloom's hair around his finger. "Besides this, how is she?"

Bloom let out a slightly strained laugh. "She was good, as far as I knew. She has good grades, spends as much time as she can away from here… She loves drawing. She's fantastic at it. From what she's shown me, she could really make a living off of it."

He nodded, looking a little lost in his own thoughts. "And her friend…"

"Hale. He's a great kid. They started talking a few weeks after… everything. He keeps her grounded – or at least, he tries to. But I think she drags him up sometimes too. They're good for each other."

"Well, despite his eavesdropping problem, he seems like a very nice kid."

I bit my lip as I realized Baltor was staring right at me, a smirk on his face. I quickly turned to jam a chair under the doorknob, even though I knew I'd already been caught. When I got it secure, I turned back, finding both of them looking at me. Bloom was smirking a little herself. "Alright, so that door's done. I suppose the next one we need to block is the main door?"

"That should be easy enough," Baltor said, leaning Bloom off him and standing up. "I'm sure Hale and I can push some of the bookcases in front of the doors, don't you think?"

I nodded, still feeling like a little kid caught stealing a cookie before dinner. "Sounds good."

"Alright then. Go ahead and start getting that portal ready. Hale," he said, turning to me, "let's chat."

Bloom gave me a small smile, and I gulped. I wanted to get Adision back; hopefully I'd still be in one piece when that time came.

* * *

><p>I was aware of very little around me. People came by, giving me hugs and words of encouragement, talking about a wedding and calling me 'Bloom'. I <em>wanted<em> to speak – the words were right there in the back of my mind, just within reach – but my mouth kept saying different things. Part of my brain was suppressing the other, and the winning side kept disagreeing with what I thought was right. I felt trapped.

_It's Bridgette,_ something said in the suppressed side of my head. _She's spelled you so you can't worm your way out of this. Remember who you are, Adision!_

It was a good thought, and I tried to fight off whatever was happening to me, but it was tiring. And the more energy I spent trying to fight, the foggier that thought was. It was… no. What _had_ I been thinking?

People whirled in and out of my vision, which seemed disorienting in itself, even though I knew perfectly well I was talking coherently to whoever was around me.

"…is the big day," I heard a voice say, as a blonde woman temporarily became clear to me. She reminded me of someone. My mind focused on the word Selena for a moment, but this woman wasn't Selena, despite looking a bit like her. And her voice was an octave or two higher.

"I know. Talk about being nervous," I heard myself say.

Another voice spoke; this one softer, and a bit gentler. "I wonder if Sky's freaking out as much as you are."

_Sky_. There was something about that name that I didn't like. But again, it was trapped; just something in the back of my mind that didn't really have a meaning. The other part of my head overtook me, and I started laughing. "I know. I hope he'll still have hair by this time tomorrow."

"Well, that or you'll rip it off tomorrow night."

"Stella!" the soft voice said, though there was a laugh in it. I thought I might be laughing too. I knew I was blushing, but I couldn't remember why.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," the supposed Stella said. My vision came back for a moment, and I saw her holding up her hands in defense. "It's just a joke for the bride-to-be, right Bloom?"

I felt my head nod involuntarily.

Things passed on. People came and went, and I stayed inside, trapped. It was as if time dragged on, but it also sped up. Memories came back to me with brutal force, only to slip away after a few minutes, leaving me lost again. It was the weirdest phenomena, but at the same time it suffocated me.

"Excuse me?"

My eyes focused, and I saw there was a girl in front of me. She was dressed differently than the other people I'd seen – black skinny jeans and a pink and silver shirt. Her hair was blondish, and her eyes were green. Those were what caught me the most. They had a kind of defiance in them, but they were understanding. "Yes?"

She stared at me intently for a moment, and her eyes widened. "Oh no…"

I felt my eyebrow rise, for once something I wanted to do. "What?"

She was shaking her head. "Goddamn it, Adision. What have you done?"

The fog in my head dispersed a bit, like when a really important memory came back to me. I stared at the girl for a few seconds, her appearance slowly becoming familiar. "…Huh? I'm–"

"No," she automatically cut me off. "You're not Bloom. You're Adision, you've got to be."

I didn't know how, but I crossed my arms. "According to what?"

"Besides the attitude?" she questioned, her lips turning to a smirk. "You voice is a little different. And your eyes… there's something wrong with your eyes."

A small chill raced down my back. The fog was gone. "I… I know you."

She nodded. "We talked a few days ago, but I don't think I got to introduce myself." With a smirk, she held out her hand. "I'm Isabel."

My eyes widened. I remembered sitting on my mother's lap, facing a mirror and seeing the reflection of a man in it. Talking about a daughter. "Oh my God," I said, putting a hand to my mouth. "Baltor's daughter. _You're_ Baltor's daughter."

The smirk on her face faded a bit, almost looking painful. "…Yeah. Guess I am." She sucked in air between her teeth. "Blimey, no one's called me that in a while. Feels strange."

"I thought you were little when you died?"

She nodded. "Seven years old in 1997. My mother–" she stopped, her eyes staring at nothing, and her pupils shrinking as though she was living in a memory. She looked about as confused as I'd previously been. "My mother. She… well I guess she… wouldn't really care about me. "

This was the point where I should've jumped in with some amazing words of wisdom about life and family (after all, my birth father pretty much hated my very existence for eleven years). But looking at her face, I could see the distinct pain in her eyes. Unlike me, it seemed obvious Isabel had wanted both her parents, not just Baltor. And I had no reaction for that.

So I did the next best thing; sarcasm. "Didn't know ghosts could age," I remarked wryly, purposely light and trying to be humorous.

Her eyes focused a little, and Isabel smiled. "Well, slowly. I've technically been dead for over twenty-five years and gone from seven to fifteen – not very impressive."

"Speak for yourself. How did you get back?"

"You," she said, before it seemed her head fully came back to reality. She looked at me and shock set in her face. "Holy crap, _you_. We still have to figure out how to get you in control of this body." She turned and walked over to the large vanity in the room, grabbing a perfume bottle and an empty glass. Opening the bottle, she sniffed it, and poured some of it into the glass.

I watched from the chair I was in (I hadn't even known if I'd been sitting or standing before). "Um… mind if I ask a question or two?"

"Shoot," she said, opening another perfume bottle. Again she took a whiff of it, but this time she shuddered and put it down.

"Well… you didn't tell me how you got back, or why I can suddenly control myself… er, my mother." I said, glancing in the mirror. Isabel was right about my eyes; they looked like Bloom's, but there were flecks of green that I'd always had (apparently from my biological grandfather, Oritel). I wiggled my fingers at my reflection, still making sure I was in control.

Isabel opened a drawer and pulled out a vile of smelling salts labeled _Vanilla_. She didn't hesitate to pour some of it into the glass. I had a feeling she was concocting some sort of potion, but she still answered me. "Okay, so remember how the creepy lady said she could use Dad's ring to bring him back?"

I nodded. "She said she could extract the DNA or something."

"Right. Well, where else can you find that man's genes?"

"I don't know, clothing?"

"_Offspring_," Isabel corrected, grabbing a violet from the vase on the vanity. "Ergo; me. When little Miss I-know-everything-magic activated that spell, she forgot to set it to one person only. Therefore, the magic also sought out _my_ soul and rebuilt my physical form. I landed across the library and rode your magic trail here."

Well, that made more sense than anything else I could think of. "So… since you have traces of that woman's magic because she brought you back from the dead, you're canceling out the spell that's making me an obedient slave girl?"

Isabel paused as she reached for a fruit display on a large table near the vanity. "Um, I've got no idea on that one. But sure, let's go with it. Sounds good."

I giggled a bit. "So what exactly are you concocting over there?"

"Well," she said, reaching for a cherimoya fruit, "I'm assuming I can't stay here until the wedding tomorrow morning without drawing some attention from your father's security detail, which means you'll fall into that funk again. But I'm hoping with this potion can sort can keep it at bay until I can get back in here tomorrow."

"So… like a magic blocker."

"More or less. I'll mix half a dose now, and the other half tomorrow should completely erase its effects."

I nodded. "And after that…"

"Then we take this wedding and crush it into little tiny pieces. You break it off with Sky, he goes crying to Delora–"

"Diaspro."

Isabel shrugged. "Whatever. He goes to her, we go back to the right time, crush him _again_, and let him have Diaspro."

"And… you won't mind if Baltor and my mom…"

Her hands froze. "Well, I've never met your mother – formally. But… hopefully I'll grow to like her. I haven't really had a mother."

There was the little silence again. "Did…" I paused for a second, debating whether I should continue. "Dad and your mother… were they… happy?"

Isabel met my eyes in the mirror. For a second I wondered if I'd made the wrong choice asking. But to my surprise, a second later she grinned. "No way in hell, girl. When Dad met her…" She made a slightly obscene gesture with her hands. "Let's just say his _head_ wasn't the one thinking."

We both burst out laughing. "So let me get this straight. The dumb guy goes for the dumb girl, the smart boy goes for the _pretty_ girl… what do the smart girls end up with?"

Isabel's grin widened. "Cats, mostly."

* * *

><p>"Stop in the name of the King of Eraklyon!"<p>

"No thanks," I grinned, going at the guard with my Phantom blade. The sound of the blades crashing against each other gave me an adrenaline rush. This wasn't combat class at Red Fountain. If I lost, I didn't just get teased for a few minutes; I lost my life, and I lost Adision. Thank God the guard couldn't see how scared I was under my cocky outer shell. "I hate blondes, anyway. Everyone knows brunettes are where it's at."

The guy didn't look amused. He swung his blade at me, and I had just enough time to duck. In the reflection of the blade I saw another guy coming at me from behind, but before he could make contact a fireball hit him from the side, knocking him into a bookcase.

The first guard turned to the shadows, where the fireball had come from. "Come out now, Your Highness, and we won't hurt the boy," he called, a smirk on his face.

A few random beams of fire shot out from various points of the darkened library. The guard looked around wildly before I saw Baltor materialize behind him. "You know, normally I would knock someone out for assuming I'm a girl, but life's short; I shouldn't be a prick about those kinds of things."

The man spun around, his face paling at the sight of Baltor in front of him. I watched Adision's father raise an eyebrow and smirk himself. "Boo."

I flipped the sword around so I was gripping the blade, and swung at the man from behind. It made contact perfectly on the side of the head, and he went out like a light. The other guard started stirring, and I pressed the button to put the blade away, then threw the sword sheath. It hit the side of the bookcase just right, and the whole thing toppled over, crushing the man beneath the official Eraklyon laws. "Sleep tight, gentlemen."

"You're incredibly experienced with this kind of stuff," Baltor remarked, using his magic to lift some of the bookcases and press them against the main doors to the library. I had no idea how the guards had managed to get in so fast, but it was glaringly obvious now that we needed to take extra precautions.

"Thanks," I said, regaining my breath as I went to retrieve my sword. "I've always been kind of good with stuff like that. I assume my biological parents were good with that kind of thing."

"Quite possibly. Or it could just be you."

I laughed a little. "Adision always says that. I thought it was… nice of her." I noticed Baltor had fallen silent, intent on getting as many bookshelves as he could to barricade the doors. "You know," I said, not having the courage to look the man in the eye, "Adision really is great. She's creative and hard-working, and she always tries to help, but at the same time she's a little stubborn and hot-headed, but sometimes when she explodes you can't help but laugh at her and I…" I trailed off as I saw a smirk slowly spread across Baltor's face. "Is something wrong?"

_That_ comment made the smirk widen, and he turned to look at me. "It feels a little bit like being given a sweet drug and then getting beat upside the head with a tennis racquet, doesn't it?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Beg your pardon?"

Baltor chuckled. "Falling in love, I mean."

A blush crept into my cheeks. "I have no idea what you mean."

"Sure you don't. You just always act so protective of girls when you think they're making a deal with the devil."

"She's my best friend, okay? It's not like that."

He raised an eyebrow at me. "She doesn't have a clue, does she?"

I looked at him for a minute, then gave a long sigh. "Not even a little one. I yelled at her this morning that I was in love with her – though I did it in Danish. I didn't have the courage to say it in a language she knew."

I cringed as he laughed. "The language barrier. How appropriate."

At that moment, Bloom appeared on the balcony. "You guys alright?"

"Fine," Baltor called back. "But I'm sure reinforcements aren't far behind. Did you get the portal working?"

"Set and ready."

"Good. Let's go before those guards get back." He headed towards the stairs, and I followed close behind, hearing shuffling behind the doors.

I glanced around the room for any more guards who may have worked their way in the library. "So I don't get a lecture on how if I break her heart, you'll kill me?"

Baltor laughed again. "Considering we're discussing Bloom's daughter here, I have no doubt she can put an end to you herself if you step out of line. However," he said, turning to look at me, his voice deadly serious. "On the off chance she doesn't, I _will_ hunt you down and put you through a torture worse than death." Chills raced down my spine, as he gave me a cat-like grin. "But we won't have that problem, will we?"

I gulped. "N-no, sir."

"For God's sake, Baltor, stop harassing the boy," Bloom cut in. She'd been watching us from the doorway near the portal, obviously amused.

"I'm not harassing him," he said, putting his hands up in an innocent gesture. "I'm simply giving fair warning."

I mouthed 'thank you' from behind Baltor, and Bloom laughed. "Still, maybe you should try to be a bit less… frightening."

There was a loud crack of wood from downstairs, and the sound of guards swiftly entering the library. A moment later, I heard the crack of guns. "Leave the Queen, shoot to kill the rest!" a voice rang out.

Baltor grabbed Bloom's shoulder with one hand and mine with the other. "Let's discuss my 'frightening' demeanor later, dear. For now, running seems like a good idea."

"Fabulous," she agreed, and the three of us turned and ducked into the narrow hallway, the bookcase swinging shut behind us. I could hear footsteps on the stairs as we quickly moved down the corridor. Old-fashioned torches burned on the walls, and the area eventually opened up to a large room with a huge metal contraption resting at the other end. It was generating the blue portal near it, looking like it came out of a sci-fi thriller. "Can they track where we go?" I asked.

"Most likely," Bloom replied, "but they can't follow us without totally blowing their cover, which they won't do."

"Somehow, that doesn't comfort me."

There was a deafening crack. "Don't focus on the comfort," Baltor said, turning to face the guards. "Just go. We won't be far behind."

I wanted to debate, say that that didn't sound like a good idea. However, when facing guards who have direct orders to kill you, it's usually best to listen to the man who's been living for the better part of forty years. I turned and jumped through the portal.

And promptly hit someone.

I crashed into a table, hearing a rumble and a distinct crash. I flinched until I saw that I'd only knocked over a cheap-looking vase. Looking around, I saw I was in a hotel hallway, with a view of the Las Vegas Strip out the window to my left.

"What the hell!" a voice snapped. Oh yeah; I'd hit someone. I turned towards the voice, ready to give an array of apologies as to how I'd randomly come out of nowhere (well, a giant blue portal). But when I saw her face, I stopped.

Her eyes were old, and there were obvious signs of aging on her. She was dressed terribly – a short red dress and black-and-white-striped tights, with _way_ too much lipstick. When her eyes met mine, an almost incomprehensible fury engulfed me.

"Hale," Bridgette said, sounding rather bored. She stood slowly, looking me over with eyes that were too cautious. "I would say I'm surprised, but I'm really not." I couldn't speak, so she kept talking. "I would love to sit around and hear about how I'm nothing more than a mockery, but I really must be–"

"What did you do?" The words came out calmly, in no way matching what I was feeling inside.

She raised an eyebrow, but it was too rehearsed to be real. "What are you talking about?"

"What do you think?" I shouted, watching her calm demeanor melt. "Adision, the girl you met a few days ago, the girl I've known for almost ten years and the person I would give everything up for! What the hell did you and your fucked up clan do to her?"

It was amazing how she tried to stay calm and make it seem like I was crazy. "I assure you, I haven't–"

I reached into my pocket, pulling out five small, lightweight ninja stars. Before she could blink, I tossed them one by one: two pinning her shoulders to the wall, two at her waist, and one landing between her knees. I snapped my fingers and they started morphing, creating a cage that sealed her to the wall. "I assure _you_," I spat, "you have."

There was a rush of wind behind me, and Bloom and Baltor stepped through the portal. Bloom was breathing hard, but she was standing tall. I noticed Baltor had a cut on his cheek, almost mimicking the one Sky had. "You're just in time," I said emotionlessly, turning to look at Bridgette. "Look who I found already."

A silence fell over the halls. "You're sure?" Bloom asked, though she already looked convinced.

"Positive; that's her. " I nodded at Bridgette, who was still locked against the wall. Bloom, who looked pretty damn pissed, raised her arm and moved her hand with a small gesture. Suddenly, fire chains were keeping Bridgette secured to the wall, my weapons falling to the floor.

She glared daggers at me, the lines in her face looking more prominent. "What did you do, boy?"

"_He_ didn't do anything," Baltor said, stepping forward. I saw Bridgette's eyes widen for a fraction of a second before her face set in stone again. "Now, I am going to ask this _one_ time, and I expect a straight answer." He stepped closer, his face a few feet away from Bridgette's. "Where the hell is my daughter?"

Her facial expression didn't change. "I don't know."

"We aren't very patient people," Bloom spoke from next to me. "And I'm not sympathetic anymore."

"I was told. Look, why are you bothering?" She was able to move her fingers a little to gesture to Baltor. "You have him back. It's what Adision wanted and she's paid the price for it. Why are you wasting your time trying to undo it?"

"Because that's my daughter. She risked her life for me, even when she didn't have any reason to. So how can we fix things to get her back?"

"You can't," Bridgette replied. She had enough guts to turn her lips into a smirk. "That type of a spell can only be preformed once by any person, and even then it takes a significant amount of power."

"So bind with us," Bloom said after a few seconds pause. "If Baltor and I combine the Dragon Fire with whatever you have, it would be enough. And more than likely, we could make it back with Adision."

"Hmph," she said, the smirk widening. "How do you know you'd even find her? You have no idea where she was sent back to, and you'll never find out."

From the corner of my eye, very slowly, I saw Baltor's face grow cold. In a movement that seemed to take place within a fraction of a second, he reached into his coat. A moment later, a handgun was drawn out, loaded with a magazine, and pointed right at Bridgette's forehead. I heard Bloom gasp, but she made no move to stop him.

Baltor leaned in close to Bridgette, whose face was considerably paler than it'd been before. When he spoke, his voice was a soft, murderous croon. "I will tell you right now, I am not a very patient man. Ask her." He nodded his head towards Bloom. "And you know what else? I swore to myself, the night Bloom was taken away from me, that I would _never_ act like this. Because I know what it's like when you're looking at it. It's frightening.

"However," he continued, pulling the safety of the gun. The sharp click made her flinch. "I _will_ shoot you, if I have to. Even though we all know you're not worth a bullet. So I'm giving you a choice. You can tell us what you know about Adision, help us get there, and I will never bother you as long as you live. Or, I can shoot you, and then we can go to your other little friend."

It was a few seconds, but it seemed like years of silence. Finally, I watched Bridgette take a deep breath. "She told Adision she could go back and change time, make everyone happy again. But, the thing is… you can't. Not really. What she was offering was the chance to create an alternate reality, outside this timeline. And no matter what she does, it won't affect us _here_. She can't change that; no one can."

"So why send her away?" I spoke for the first time since I'd identified Bridgette.

"How should I know? That's not my kind of magic to deal with."

"So you just don't ask?" Bloom said, not sounding particularly concerned for Bridgette's life.

"Same thing."

"But _where_ is she?"

She didn't look at us. "May eighteenth, 2010."

Baltor and I exchanged a look. Nothing about the date sounded particularly interesting. My birth date was more than a year after that, and so was Adision's. I was about to speak, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bloom's calm mask disintegrate to a mixture of shock and horror. "No," she whispered.

Slowly, Baltor lowered the gun and turned to look at her. "What, Bloom?"

She was shaking her head. "That… I mean… May eighteenth was my wedding. When I married Sky."

Realization struck all of us, even Bridgette, who obviously hadn't realized what it meant. In the distance, I heard the gun clatter to the floor. "She couldn't," I whispered, my mind going into immediate denial. "She never would, I mean… for God's sake, her own _father_?"

"You know Adision," Bloom said. "She hasn't called Sky her father since she was four years old."

"Good girl," I heard Baltor mutter behind me. "But still, taking your place at your wedding? She'd never–"

"Oh yes she would," I cut off. "She's been interested in paranormal research since she was ten. That girl has gone to the edges of the known universe to try and get you back. Trust me when I'd say she'd go that far." As I said this, I saw a pang of guilt radiate across his face, making me a little guilty at the way I'd phrased it. I really had to start thinking before I blurted stuff out.

Still on the wall, Bridgette was shaking her head. "I had no idea…"

"What, because you don't ask?" Bloom snapped, before taking a steadying breath. "You need to get us there. Now." Bridgette nodded, and the redhead snapped her fingers. The fire chains disintegrated, and the other woman dropped to the ground.

"The roof will be a perfect place to open the portal," she said, straightening her dress a little. "If you'll just follow me."

We all exchanged a glance, and simultaneously nodded. Bloom and I started walking, but after a moment I saw Baltor grab Bridgette by her arm and pull her back a little. He whispered something in her ear, and after a moment she whispered back, her voice too soft to hear. She pointed to a door down the hall and he nodded. He walked forward and took Bloom, kissing her cheek softly. "I'll meet you in a second," he said, louder, before turning and going the opposite direction, grabbing the fallen gun in the process.

Bloom looked curiously at him, and then at Bridgette. "What did he ask?"

Her face was grim as she nodded toward the door. "He was curious about that friend of mine. I told him she was staying in the other room."

We exchanged a glance. In the background, I heard the sound of wood creaking open. "What was her…" Bloom started to ask.

She was interrupted by the sound of a gunshot ringing out through the hallway. Her mouth stayed open for a second, and then closed slowly.

Bridgette only glanced back. "We should hurry."

* * *

><p>"So, this is going to work?"<p>

"It should," Isabel replied, staring intently at the now-full glass. The contents had settled to a light purple-looking liquid that smelled sweet. However, considering it was filled with perfume, flowers, smelling salts, ground up fruit (along with the toxic fruit seeds), and the remains of a Cherry Coca-Cola, I was hesitant to even take a sip. She noticed my look and rolled her eyes. "It's only half the glass. It won't kill you."

"True, but it could make me sick."

"Hey–"

"You put a flower in there!"

"Psh." She waved it off. "Flowers are extremely good for you."

"My skin, maybe. But I am _not_ drinking it."

Isabel glared at me. "Would you rather get married to your father in the morning?" I looked at her for a moment, pretending to think it over in my head. Isabel looked like she was trying not to laugh. "_Adision_."

"Alright, fine! But I'm trusting you that this won't taste like shit."

She smiled, and passed it over. It still smelled sweet, like vanilla and cherries. Taking a deep breath, I lifted the glass to my lips and took a long swallow. It didn't taste _bad_; I could make out the cherry Coke the most, and the cherimoya fruit. There was also an oddly grainy, overly sweet part (the smelling salts) and a sour juice,most likely from the plant. I took another gulp so the glass was half full, and set it down.

And promptly gagged as the perfume aftertaste hit me. "God…" I sputtered and Isabel burst out laughing. I reached behind my chair and grabbed a pillow, tossing it at her. She caught it midair, and let the force knock her back onto the couch opposite of me, continuing to laugh as I sputtered. "Janey Mack," I couldn't help but murmur.

"Who's Janey Mack?" Isabel asked, taking the glass from me. She poured the other half of the drink into the vial and set them both on the end table.

My laughing abruptly stopped. "She's… or he's… I don't know. My friend Hale says it all the time. He's never told me."

"Oh yeah, Hale. The dorky one with the glasses?"

"He's not a dork!" I protested. Isabel gave me a look, but I didn't waver. "He's _not_ a dork. He doesn't spend all his free time at Pokemon conventions and playing World of Warcraft."

"Really?" she questioned, playing with a lock of her hair. "Pray tell, how does your little friend spend his free time?"

"He spends it with… me."

Isabel's gaze flickered, a small smirk on her face. "Ooh-la-la. Are you two an item?"

My cheeks reddened. "No! Of course not! We're just friends, nothing else."

"Uh-huh, sure."

"I'm serious, Isabel!"

She laughed. "All right, but answer me this – is there no relationship because it's strictly platonic, or have you just been too scared to add something else to the equation?"

I glared at her. "Of course not… Well, maybe a little… or even…" I sighed. "I don't know. I guess I never really thought about it before."

She smiled at me. "Uh-huh."

"I'll talk to him about it… if we ever get out of this."

"Of course we will," Isabel insisted, tilting her head up to the ceiling, her expression thoughtful. I watched a small smile spread across her face. "_We_, you said? Huh. I quite like that."

I smirked a little. "Isn't that what family's for?"

The smile widened. "I always wanted a sister, you know."

"Me too. I mean, I hate Jonathan with all my guts, so in a way I never really had a sibling. So far it's… fun."

Isabel snorted. "Wow, if this is fun, I'm almost scared to see what you do when you're bored. Rob banks?"

I laughed. "Very funny. I just mean…"

"Yeah," she said quietly, her eyes still on the ceiling. "I know."

We fell into silence. Through the window, I saw the sun slowly setting on the horizon. Everything was shaded beautifully, the sky a mix of purples and oranges. "I once heard that the reason there are so many colors in a sunset is because of all the toxins in the air. When it mixes with the sunlight at the right angles, it forms those colors."

Isabel brought her head down to look though the window. "Really? Makes you wonder, I guess. I mean, were they always that bright? One or two hundred years ago, did anyone see this?"

"I know. And are they all the same, or is each one different, like a fingerprint?"

"All important questions. Where's Bill Nye when you need him?"

I chuckled. "He probably doesn't have a wedding to break up."

Isabel nodded. "Just think; come tomorrow, we're going to give that pretty boy a run for his money. Boy is Sky going to be upset when you're not walking down that aisle."

"I know. His perfect little life is about to be shattered."

My sister laughed. "Oh, is it ever. That man better enjoy his bachelor party while it lasts."

"Actually," a voice spoke from behind me, "that was last night."

Isabel and I looked at each other. Her face was frozen in fear, and I could only guess how bad mine was. Like a scene from a cheap horror movie, we both turned slowly to look at the opening to the room. There were two menacing guards, each with plasma guns in their hands (fully loaded too, I would assume). And standing between them was none other than Prince Sky of Eraklyon.

* * *

><p><em>Wind<em>

That was the first thing I registered as I regained conscience. I could feel wind blowing through my hair, crisp and cool. There was sunlight beating down on my back, and I was lying on something warm and soft that was shifting easily under my weight.

…_Sand?_

A seagull squawked. I suddenly heard a loud crash, and before I could think I felt water dump all over me, drowning out the sun and making me gasp for air. I broke free of the surface, now fully awake. Thankfully I could stand, and I managed to get out of water before the next wave came in.

I was on a beach. I didn't know where, but it was a beach. The sun was low in the horizon, perfectly nestled between two islands in the distance. There were lounge chairs scattered around, and in the distance I could hear the beat of drums and people chattering.

It all came back to me: Bridgette setting up a portal with Bloom and Baltor, leaving both of them drained of power. The three of us jumping though, and Bridgette saying she'd jump after me. "A beach," I found myself saying aloud. "There aren't beaches on Eraklyon."

"Tell me about it."

I glanced over my shoulder. It was Baltor, sitting on one of the chairs. He looked like he'd gotten hit by a wave too – his hair was hanging in wet sections around his face, and he was squeezing water out of his jacket. Bloom was sitting near him, still dazed from the crazy limbo we'd experienced traveling here. She looked relatively dry.

"Why," Baltor continued, sounding very, _very_ angry, "do I get the feeling this isn't right?"

"Probably because it's not." I glanced around the beach, looking for any signs of life. "I think there's a building through those trees.

Baltor turned to look at Bloom. "Can you walk?"

She nodded, shrugging off the black bomber jacket she was been wearing (it looked like it'd gotten the worst of the waves). She left it hanging on one of the chairs as we made our way down the beach to the building.

Baltor glanced around suspiciously. "In all my years in the magical dimension, I don't think I've seen this place."

I glanced around the beach, the sounds I'd previously heard growing closer. "It could be a remote location on Tides. Or maybe the Resort Realm?"

Bloom, who'd been relatively silent since we arrived, was looking around the area with suspicion. "No… it isn't one of those."

"Then where are we?" Baltor asked, his jacket slung over his shoulder.

"Um, guys?" I said, pointing over to the clearing in the trees. "I don't think that's part of the Resort Realm."

I was looking at what appeared to be a large rope swing. All around there were pools and rocks and lounge chairs. I could see a water slide hidden between two rock faces. The music was much more pronounced, and I saw a speaker hidden behind a palm tree. "What the hell?"

I saw Bloom groan. "Oh no."

"You know where we are?"

Bloom nodded. "This is the Grand Wailea."

Baltor gave her a look. "And that is…?"

"A resort. On the coast of Maui, near Hana."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," I said, remembering all my geography lessons. "Maui, _Hawaii_? As in _Earth_?"

"Unfortunately."

Next to her, Baltor let out a low growl. "If I ever get my hands on that woman, I'll bounce her around the planets like a pinball."

"If we can." Bloom pointed to one of the resort signs, which displayed the date and some of the activities going on. The sign read _May 17, 2010_ in faded white letters. "Looks like Bridgette still kept her word on sending us back."

"Right," I sighed, flopping down on a lounge chair. "We're here, but we're three whole realms away with no power to get us anywhere else. We're screwed."

Baltor gave me a look. "You're giving up now?"

"Well, do you have a plan?"

His gaze stayed on me for a second more, and then Baltor sighed too, leaning back against a palm tree. "We're still a day early. If we get enough rest, we should have enough power to get to Eraklyon."

"But no power to fight off guards."

"That shouldn't be a problem," Bloom said. "I know all the weak spots in the security detail. Unless, of course, one of you trained with the Flying Bikers without me knowing." Upon seeing our looks, she shook her head. "Never mind."

"Okay, but what are we supposed to do for the night? A place like this looks like it'd be booked pretty fast."

Bloom shook her head. "There are over seven hundred rooms. There must be something."

We stopped talking as a couple walked by us, laughing about someone named Nancy. They both had drinks in hand, and looked a bit tipsy. "I suppose," Baltor finally spoke once they'd passed. "But I have one condition."

Bloom's cheeks flushed, and I felt my jaw drop. The thought hadn't crossed my mind until now, but it was obvious Bloom was thinking something along the lines of a room together. (I'm a nerd – that means I'm _not_ stupid.) "Yes?" she squeaked

He obviously caught the catch in her voice. Glancing at her, Baltor's lips curved into a smug smile. "I was going to say, if you dare try to put one of those floral shirts on me, I'll throw you back into the ocean."

* * *

><p>"I didn't know I was interrupting." Sky's voice was cold, just like it'd always been. There was something different though; his eyes. I thought. I hated the way his eyes were looking at me.<p>

Isabel's face had gone to an iced calm state. She remained sitting, her only movement drumming her fingers on the arm of the chair softly. "So," she spoke, her voice steady and unwavering. "I suppose you're the blonde with the PMS issues. I have to say, I thought you'd be taller."

One of the guards growled and pointed the plasma gun directly at her forehead. "You should show some respect for the King who decides your fate instead of mocking him."

She shrugged, a small smirk on her face. "I mock; I'm a mocker. Family trait."

"Don't hurt her," I found myself saying as I saw the guard's face grow cold. "This is my fault."

"I don't doubt that," Sky said, speaking directly to me for the first time. "'A wedding to break up,'" he mocked in my voice. I shivered. "'His perfect little word is about to be shattered.' You know, what's wrong with 'I'm not ready to be married right now,' Bloom? Too simple?"

"She's not Bloom," Isabel spoke before my mouth opened. "If you really knew 'the love of your life' like you claimed, you'd have figured that out."

"Interesting your lecturing that, when I don't even know _your_ name." Sky remarked dryly, her eyes looking over her nonchalantly, like she had no value.

That didn't go over nicely with Isabel, who when his eyes glanced back to her, let out a long, low growl fierce enough to startle him. "My _name_ is Isabel Noelle Madeline Camarena. I started my magic training when I was three years old from the most powerful wizard in the magic dimension that more than likely haunts your nightmares. I have enough energy to bounce your flimsy little ass between here and Solaria like a pinball. _Capire, Vostra Altezza?_"

_All right, Izzy_, I mentally cheered. Sky however, looked less than pleased. He gave one of the guards a nod, and they both sprang forward, each grabbing her by an arm. The one who'd first spoken gave a cold grin as he jammed a gun into her head, his hand on the trigger.

"Stop it!" I yelled, shooting up out of my chair. "Let her go, Sky! Please!"

Sky looked genuinely uninterested as he looked at me out of the corner of his eye. "Why should I? I don't know her."

"You know her father," I spat before I could think. Isabel looked momentarily surprised, but she smirked, assuring me she liked the plan.

"Do I?" Sky asked, slowly entering the room so he stood a few feet in front of Isabel. "She doesn't look that familiar, and I don't recognize her name."

"Well maybe her father's will ring a bell for you. It's _Baltor_." I took pride in watching his jaw drop in surprise.

"Who by the way isn't dead," Isabel added, looking smug. "He's connected to the _real_ Bloom with the Dragon Fire. A connection so strong nothing in the known universe can break it. And by the way, ten points for not noticing this lovely girl isn't your bride to be. Considered contacts, jackass?"

"A _connection_," Sky spat, at her, his voice growing cold and a bit hysterical, "is not the same as love. People can be connected by magic, but that does _not_ mean they are anything more! Especially in the case of mortal enemies!"

"Opposites attract." Isabel stated calmly.

What happened next was out of a horror movie. With a fierce growl, Sky reached forward and tore the plasma gun out of the guard's hands. Before I could move, he clocked it, pointed it at Isabel, and pulled the trigger.

There was a loud bang and a sharp scream. When I looked at Isabel, she was hunched over on the ground, the guards standing back in surprise. Pushing past Sky, I raced over and dropped down next to my sister. "Isabel!" I cried, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Are you ok?"

She groaned a little, dropping her arms from around herself, grabbing my shoulder for support. The side of her leg was sliced open from the plasma gun, a small amount of blood seeping out. "I'm okay," she said between her teeth, looking pained.

Before I could move, one of the guards grabbed me by the back of my shirt and dragged me away from Isabel. I struggled and yelled, but the guard clamped his hand over my mouth. In a move of desperation, I bit his hand hard enough to taste blood. I gagged at the overbearing metallic taste. I heard him yell and swiftly drew his hand back. A second later, a hand slapped across my check, snapping my neck back hard.

My vision was fuzzy from the blow, but I saw Sky step forward and drag Isabel up from the ground. One of his feet was on her good foot, making it so she couldn't move. He gripped her jaw in his hand, his face now set in cool stone like it'd been before. He looked her over from her head to her toes, his eyes lingering. Despite her defiant face, I saw her eyes flicker with uncertainty. "You know," Sky said slowly, bringing Isabel's face close to his. "You and your sad excuse for a father are more alike than I thought. The resemblance, as well." he turned her face to the side, Isabel whimpering in protest. "It's uncanny, really. Besides your eyes, of course."

"He's going to kill you when he sees what you've done to me." I heard Isabel say, her voice stronger than I expected.

"That depends of if you're still alive." I tried to convince myself I was imagining Izzy tensing up at his words. "But," Sky continued, turning her face back to look at him, "if you tell me where your father and my fiancé are, I can assure you nothing else will happen to you, Isabel."

"You finally notice I'm not your girl?" I somehow managed to speak.

Sky turned to look at me, not releasing Isabel. "The same goes for you. And should I even bother to ask your name?"

I saw Isabel's eyes widen a little, as if coaxing me to tell him the truth. I looked at her for a moment, and then turned my head, not having the courage to look at her. "I'm…Sarah."

"No!" Isabel yelled. "Tell him the truth!"

"He won't believe the truth!"

"I can hear you," my birth father remarked dryly, "and I could possible believe you."

"I…" I looked between him and Isabel, who looked weaker than I'd ever seen. "If I were to tell you that I'm your daughter, and I came here to try and help my mother, what would you say?"

Sky turned from Isabel to look at me. His eyes were nothing like I expected; shocked, of course, but…lighter. They were almost…gentle, and maybe even understanding. It was a look that tickled the back of my head like a faint memory. Very slowly, I saw his tight grip on Isabel's jaw lessen. She sighed in relief, and when he lifted his foot she rushed back, collapsing onto a couch. "Pray tell, Adision," he asked, his voice soft, "if you're telling me the truth, why come back here? Why try and take Bloom's place?"

"To _protect_ her," I insisted, felling the guard's arms go a bit slack around me. "She's been…trapped."

"Trapped by what?"

I bit my lip. "Trapped…by you."

Wrong words. Just as the remote and almost gentle understand had been on his face, it was replaced with a cold fury. "Me?"

"I –"

"I would _never_ hurt Bloom."

"Not intentionally," Isabel spoke from the couch. "You kind of…went off your rocker. Lost a few bricks? Had one too many cocktails? Been –" One of the guards pointed a gun to her, and she immediately fell silent.

"And your father's so much better?" Sky questioned, his eyes still furious.

"Baltor's a good man!" I yelled, since Isabel was still frozen with fear. "Better than you've ever been to me!"

"Enough!" Sky snapped viciously at me. He raised his hand, and for a second I thought he was going to hit me. At the last second, he lowered his hand, his face set in stone. "Take Miss…Camarena, to the dungeons. Bandage her leg first. And as for you," he turned back to me. "I suppose since I'm such a horrible person, the last thing I can do is interfere with you plans. And I suppose you can play the part."

My jaw dropped as I saw the look in his eyes. It was amusement, and a kind of hunger. "Why you –"

Sky snapped his fingers. "The dungeons, please."

"I can walk myself," Isabel snapped as one of guards reached for her arm. With what looked like a great deal of trouble, she stood up, carefully balancing on one leg. She turned to look at me, and I saw tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry."

I bit my lip, now fighting my own tears. I walked over and gave her tight hug. "It's not your fault. Be careful ok?"

I felt something slip into my front pocket. I didn't acknowledge it though as Izzy hugged me back. "You too."

She stepped back, and allowed the guard that hadn't threatened her to put her arm around his shoulders and help her walk out of the room. Sky followed them, blowing me a mock kiss that made my stomach churn.

Once he left, I collapsed onto the couch, not able to feel my legs. After about a minute to make sure Sky had really left, I reached into my pocket to get what Isabel had put in it. I pulled out the vile, still filled with the purple liquid. Attached to it was a small note. Carefully, I unwrapped it from around the vile and opened it.

_Meet you in the morning. This isn't over yet_.


	3. Chapter 3: Isabel & Bloom

"Hey kid, you sure you don't want a TV to watch the wedding?"

I glanced at the guard out of the corner of my eye, but didn't speak. Though they had done a good job of bandaging my leg, the rest of the night had been nothing but mocking me. My only chance at escape had been a sound barrier spell, but it had done very little, considering my magic was at a low point. I felt like I'd been trapped for eternity, even though it hadn't even been twelve hours.

Thankfully, though, I was working on a way to fix that.

"Come on, little girl," he continued to taunt from the other side of the other side of the iron bars. "Where's that impressive and maddening power Baltor must've passed down to you?"

"It was never maddening," I stated calmly, pulling my legs to me and resting Indian-style on the floor. "My father stumbled upon a book full of dark magic in a library one day. It contained a powerful demon that took over his soul."

I shut my eyes tightly as I heard him bark a sharp laugh. "And where's your daddy now, kid?"

_Hopefully coming to kick your ass to Hell and back_. However, I didn't respond, shutting my eyes and forcing myself into a calm state, trying to find the weakness in the barrier spell around me. I was sick of being in here, and I was not abandoning the closest thing I had to a sibling.

"Lay off the kid." The voice of another guard reached my ears. "Haven't you tormented her enough?" I recognized him as one of the men who'd helped with my leg last night. I almost opened my eyes to check, but decided against it.

The first man laughed; I had the slightest suspicion he'd had alcohol at some point during the night, which made his comments to me more slurred and offensive. I forced my ears to stop hearing their voices and focused on the energy around me, the power of the spell and the aura in the air. Suddenly, I felt it – a weak point to the left of me, almost brushing my knee. Slowly, I reached my hand out to the area and let loose a few sparks of magic, too dull to be noticed by the guards.

The oddest feeling radiated from the pit of my stomach. I usually ignored such things when I was in a meditative state like this, but it nagged me. It was an aura – faint and far away, but still there. Familiar, almost coaxing me to reach out and touch it, to try to make contact, but I couldn't.

I could feel the spell around me crumbling without a skilled wizard to recharge it. It tried to hold itself for a few moments, and then gave up and crumbled away.

"Lay off, Aaron," I suddenly heard the first guard say. I was still partially in a meditative state, so I could hear the slur in his voice and feel the drunken aura around him. A smirk spread across my lips as he continued. "She's a child, for Arcadia's sake. What trouble could she cause?"

Calmly, I stood up and brushed the stray rubble from my jeans. The drunken guard turned and gave me a look of cold amusement. "And just where do you think your going, sweetheart?"

The second guard gave me an odd look. I flashed him a grin and shot my hand out, feeling the power of my internal flame leap from my fingertips, splitting the iron bars of the cell in half. There was a loud crash as they fell in shambles in front of me, both men watching, slack jawed. "Now then," I said, straightening the glove on my left hand, "who wants to try and take me on?"

Unsurprisingly, the drunk one came at me first. I shot a barrage of fire arrows at him, but he deflected him with his spear gun. Just when he was within a few feet of me, I launched myself backwards, doing a perfect back flip and landing on the suspended makeshift bed. The man sneered and whipped something out from behind him, quickly tossing it at me.

I realized a beat too late it was a magic restraint cuff. It clipped perfectly around my left hand, draining me almost immediately. He smirked and yanked at the chain, watching as I tumbled off the bed and landed face down on the stone floor. I felt the fabric of my shirt tear, leaving the bottom of my black lace bra and part of my stomach exposed. "Now," he growled, yanking the chain to slowly pull me closer, my skin burning from the friction. "If that mouth of yours is really so big, why don't we see what _else_ it can do?"

A low, inhuman growl sounded in my throat. He momentarily stopped pulling me forward, and I used the opportunity to spring to my feet, yanking on the chain myself, causing him to stumble towards me. Using a trick I'd seen in a movie once, I spun him around and pushed the chain to his neck, partially cutting off his oxygen supply. He went eerily still, the spear dropping from his hand.

"Now, what was it you said earlier?" I whispered, taking pride in the shivers that wracked him. He didn't answer, and I tightened the chain. "See what my _mouth_ can do?"

"…P-p-please," he rasped out.

I gave a disgusted sigh, my hand reaching the end of the other cuff. Clamping it to a piece of brick, I felt the cuffs rattle with uncertainty at the two different surfaces it was attached to. I took the opportunity to remove the cuff on my arm and pinned it to the wall, keeping him trapped. "You know," I said, my voice containing a cold sarcasm, "I'd stick to the blow-up dolls. But be careful how you struggle in that chain, or your experiences could be far less entertaining."

From behind me, I heard a slight chuckle. Whirling around at lightning speed, I saw the other guard – Aaron – in the doorway, smiling at me. He was, in fact, the man from last night, his dark skin making him fade into the shadows a bit. "Impressive," he said, nodding in obvious approval. "If you are not Baltor's daughter, at the very least one of your parents must have great skill with the Dragon Fire."

"…My mother was from Delora – big on protection and whatnot. She could do a decent back flip." I looked him over. "You planning on turning me in?"

"No," he said, the smile fading from his face. "You seem to be an intelligent young woman, and you would not be doing this without a much larger drive."

I had expected something along the lines of that, but hearing it out loud rocked me a bit. I quickly recovered my composure. "I appreciate it. Just please… try to keep his Highness busy."

"Of course, miss."

"Actually, my name's–"

"No," he quickly cut off, looking stern. "No names. Names make it harder to say goodbye."

My eyebrows rose. "What–"

"Go! Quickly, before this is discovered."

Something in the back of my head told me to argue, but I was in too much of a rush to say no. I glanced at the clock of the wall – nine thirty. The wedding started in half an hour, and I still had to get to the other side of the palace. There wasn't even time to thank Aaron as I darted out of the dungeons and up the stairs. "Find some clothes!" I heard him call to me.

I managed to glance down. My shirt was badly torn, my left glove bloody from the cuff, and my jeans looked more worn that ever. "Crap," I muttered, turning left at the top of the stairs. I didn't know where I was going, just so long as it was away from the dungeons. "Now what the hell am I–"

Before I could finish, a door in front of me burst open and a blonde girl stalked out, looking as steamed as a bag of potatoes. I couldn't stop in time, crashing into her from the side.

"Ugh!" she squeaked in a voice that made me cringe. "Watch where you're going! Isn't it bad enough I'm forced to attend my ex-fiancé's wedding?"

I glanced at the girl as she fixed the crown on her head and continued to lecture me. The jewels alone looked like they could easily feed a family for two years. I also noticed her dress – a long black and white number with a large red beaded flower on the bodice. It was elegant, and looked like it would easily blend in with the crowd.

"I mean, really," she continued, turning to face me head-on. "What is your…"

She trailed off, and with good reason; I'd produced a massive fireball in one hand, and a fire whip in the other.

I gave her a deathly sweet smirk. "Hello, your Highness!" I chirped in an overly pleasant voice. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I need you to take off that dress."

* * *

><p>"This," I struggled to get out, inching the tight dress up my legs, "is a terrible idea. Goddamn it, how did Stella ever manage to fit into clothing this tight?"<p>

From the other side of the thick curtain, I heard Baltor chuckle. "Solaria, precious, has something of a problem with crash weight-loss diets."

"And apparently bad circulation," I muttered, sliding the garment the rest of the way up my body. "My wedding dress wasn't this tight; how could a bridesmaid dress be worse?"

"You could have taken Flora's or Layla's."

"But Stella will be the least likely to go around asking where it is – she'll just order another one."

"Deep breath, Bloom. Literally."

I gave something between a huff of annoyance and a laugh. "Nice pun."

"I try."

I hadn't gotten much sleep last night – in fact, I was fairly certain Baltor used a spell to knock me out around two in the morning. Hale had taken one of the couches, and Baltor the other. We'd had a small fight on who should've taken the bed, but Hale had firmly denied it because of the whole 'you're a woman' thing, and Baltor for the fear that too much would've happened.

Needless to say, it was hard enough running on four hours of sleep and an s***-load of caffeine. I didn't need the reminder I was no longer as young as I used to be.

From the other side of the curtain, I heard Baltor bite back another laugh. "You want some help?"

I sighed, holding the dress up as I stepped around the hanging velvet. "The zipper, if you don't mind."

There wasn't a response, but I felt Baltor take my shoulders and gently turn me towards the mirror. Despite the time it had taken getting the stupid thing _on_, it actually looked pretty decent on me. I hadn't gotten a say in my bridesmaid dresses thanks to the stupid Eraklyon laws; they had been black and cream on the bodice, with a cream-colored bubble skirt. It made my hair stand out and brought out my eyes.

Baltor slid up the zipper, one of his fingers trailing across my skin just before the zipper covered it. I fought back a shiver and stared straight on at the mirror. "You look beautiful," he whispered, placing a chaste kiss on the side of my neck.

"You clean up pretty well too." I smirked a little. Baltor had (with great reluctance) parted with his burgundy jacket, settling for a black suit and a burgundy tie.

He glared at me, though it was more friendly than upset. "Did Hale get off okay?"

"As far as I know." Hale had snatched a suit from one of the shops at the hotel and taken off the minute we'd gotten past the security on the palace, desperate to find Adision. That had led to us splitting up, while I tracked down a bridesmaid's dress for my own disguise (because it's not like I could walk around in a grass skirt).

I gave myself another glance in the mirror, taking a deep breath and sucking in my stomach. "Not going to get any better, is it?"

"Stop saying that. Now come on, we have a party to crash."

"Ha. Next time, I'll bring a formal party-crashing dress."

Baltor smirked at me. "A wise idea." He held out his arm. "Shall we go and get a better look at your wedding?"

I smiled and slipped my arm though his. "Let's."

As it turns out, everyone was having a great time at my wedding except for, well, _me_. Every person I passed had a champagne flute filled with mimosa (or the daring few who had gone to straight alcohol), laughing and chatting happily. I momentarily caught sight of Hale, darting between a couple I didn't recognize; my eyes were following him when a familiar laugh caught my ears from across the room, and I turned to see Sky with Brandon, Riven, and Musa. I gripped Baltor's arm tightly, a strange mix of feelings coursing through me.

He followed my gaze, and I felt his own grip tighten. "Still as ugly."

I tried to smile, but I couldn't force my lips up. "He looks happy."

"Were you?" he asked, seeing through me like he always did.

"Of course not. But that's not the point." I turned to see a door at the side of the large room. "Through there."

Weaving though the crowds was much more difficult than I thought, especially since I didn't have enough energy to cast any kind of appearance spell on myself. People kept looking, which meant I kept bumping into people. Baltor somehow managed to get ahead of me, and I struggled to catch up, hitting more people.

At that moment, I hit a young blonde girl. For a minute I panicked, because I recognized the dress as Diaspro's; she'd bragged that it was the latest designer. With a little bit of fear I looked up to her face.

It wasn't Diaspro. This girl had reddish-blonde hair, green eyes, and looked closer to her mid-teens. She stared at me head on, and her breath caught. "Oh…"

I froze a little. "…Diaspro?"

To my surprise, she huffed with laughter. "No. Diaspro's… a bit tied up at the moment. Literally. I'm Isabel."

The name tickled something in the back of my head, but I couldn't remember what. "I'm…"

"Don't bother. I've got a pretty good idea."

I almost asked her what the idea was, but at the last moment decided against it. "Look… Isabel, this is going to sound crazy, but… I kind of need a bit of a distraction."

A grin illuminated her face. She was pretty when she smiled. "Oh, I like you. Thirty seconds. Be ready." With that, she turned and disappeared into the crowd.

I watched as she wove her way though the mass of people, with about twice as much grace as I possessed. It took me a minute to realize she was heading towards Hale, who was near Sky, looking ready to rip his head off (not that I'd object to it). I saw her take a few deep breaths, and watched as her face set into what looked like fury. "I can't believe you!" she screeched at the top of her lungs.

A good amount of people turned to look at her. I saw Sky's eyes land on her and watched his jaw drop. And when Hale turned to look at her, she surprised me again by slapping him right across the face. "You think you can just double cross me like that?" she yelled, just a little too loudly. Boldly, she caught my eye in the crowd and dropped a quick wink.

A grin spread across my face, and I mouthed 'thank you' back to her. With that, I turned and ran through the crowds, who were now paying little to no attention to me, their gazes focused on Isabel cussing up a storm.

Baltor was waiting by the door, trying to look through the crowd. "What the hell is going on over there?"

"Long story," I insisted, turning to face the door. It was locked, so I shocked it with a fire bolt that immediately melted the tumbler inside. Now when I turned the knob, it swung open easily.

I bolted down the hall, my daughter the only thing on my mind. In the back of my head, I heard Baltor yell something at me, but I didn't pay attention.

I found the way to the room I wanted automatically. The door was closed, and thankfully unguarded. Standing in front of it, I felt myself freeze a little bit. What was I going to say? How was I supposed to react? There wasn't anything about this in Parenting 101.

"You alright?" Baltor asked from behind me. I had no idea how he'd managed to catch up.

I forced myself to nod. "Scared. But," I added, feeling a small sense of bravery take hold of me, "I've been scared long enough." With that, I reached out and threw open the doors.

The girl in my wedding dress looked up in surprise, tears on her face. I felt my heart constrict like never before as I recognized the young woman under the layers of makeup that were meant to make her look old. There was a thin line of mascara running down her cheek, a result of the tears. Some of it had dripped onto the perfect white skirt, but that was the least of my worries.

Adision looked at me in shock. "M… Mom?"

The feeling on my heart tightened, so much I almost expected it to burst. Tears stung the backs of my eyes as I stepped forward and dropped onto the couch beside her. Carefully, I reached out and brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "You, young lady," I said, my voice shaking, "are grounded until you're sixty."

She gave something between a laugh and a sob, and threw her arms around my neck. I hugged her tightly, feeling a few tears leak out of my eyes. I could hear Adision sobbing softly, something she never did. "Why?" I asked, for lack of anything better to say.

"…I… I thought it was right. I just… wanted you to be h-happy…"

"Oh honey," I whispered, running my fingers through her curled hair. "You shouldn't have to worry about making _me_ happy. I'm the parent – it's supposed to be the other way around."

"She's right," Baltor added, deciding to make his presence known. "Especially if you're risking your life for someone like me."

Adision's head snapped back to look at him, and I saw her eyes shining with a fresh batch of tears. "I…" she stuttered. "I mean, I just… and with…" Adision bit her lip, her eyes going down to the floor. "I'm so sorry."

Baltor gave a long sigh and shook his head. "Adision…" After a moment, he reached out and pulled her to her feet, enfolding her in his arms a second later, looking close to tears himself. "_I'm_ sorry for putting you through all this. I'm practically a stranger to you–"

"No," my daughter said fiercely, leaning back to look him in the eyes. "Do you remember what I said to you, the night Mom first saw you? That you were there for me more, and I _wanted _you there more? _You're_ my father." A warm feeling entered my chest, something I hadn't felt since my daughter was young. And just like that, she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into his chest. After a moment, Baltor wrapped his arms around her again, a small smile on his face.

"I love you, Dad," she said, lifting her head to look at the doorway. I watched as a cross between a smirk and a smile illuminated her face. "And I think," she added, stepping back and turning him around, "there's another person here who really loves you too."

Raising an eyebrow, I turned to look for myself. Hale stood there, a red mark still visible on his cheek, but grinning like a 400-watt bulb at Adision. Next to him was the girl I'd spoken with earlier. She was staring at Baltor in absolute shock, looking close to tears herself.

"Mom," Adision said, a small smile on her face, "you remember Baltor's daughter Isabel, don't you?"

* * *

><p>"Adision, it is so good to see you!"<p>

I watched Hale pick Adision up in his arms and spin her around – despite the enormous white skirt, which was a truly enormous feat. He seemed to be the only person not crying; I could tell Adision was by the way she buried her face in Hale's shoulder, and there were remnants of tears on Bloom's face.

My father was staring at me with his jaw hanging open a little. It had been a long time, and suddenly nervousness overtook me, drowning out my plan to give a kind of sarcastic but loveable remark, like he always did. I rubbed my shoulder, determined to keep my composure. "Um… hi."

That snapped him out of his daze a little bit. He stepped forward – cautiously – until he was within arm's length of me. "No," he whispered. "You couldn't be…"

"I could be," I said, feeling some of my strength come back to me. "Been a long time, I guess."

He shook his head, a small smirk crossing his face. "You have no idea."

With that, he pulled me into his arms and held me tightly against his chest. He hadn't gripped me so hard since the time I had the nightmare about the ocean waves drowning me. Almost like an automatic response, I rubbed my cheek against his coat, faintly surprised when it felt like cotton instead of worn leather. He still smelled the same. "Hi, Dad," I managed to choke out. There was a sob at the back of my throat.

His grip on me tightened. "I remember you being a little younger, honey."

I laughed. "Yeah…"

"I knew I recognized your name." Bloom's words brought me out of my happy place, and I expected her to be upset with me – you know, the whole resent-your-stepchildren thing. But she was smiling at me, the look comforting. With a small laugh, I went over and gave her a hug. Much like Dad, she embraced me tightly, as though she'd known me my whole life. "It's very nice to finally meet you."

"Same here, miss…"

"Just Bloom," she admonished, pushing my shoulders back so she could get a good look at me.

I nodded. "Bloom it is, then."

Church bells rang in the distance. I mentally counted off ten loud clangs. Remembering what it meant, I felt my hands clam up. "The wedding. How much longer before it starts?"

Bloom seemed to recognize it too. Her eyes widened. "Twenty minutes. We have twenty minutes." She walked over to the large dresser in the room and threw it open, producing a pair of jeans and a purple hoodie, which she tossed to Adision. "Get out of that dress. No bride, no wedding."

Adision and I exchanged a look. "We can't," my sister said sheepishly. Everyone turned to look at us. "Sky knows who we are; we told him last night, hoping he would help us out. But he didn't. And he… he expects me to walk down that aisle."

"He beefed up security, too," I added, feeling my stomach tighten. "After the little show I just put on, I had to launch three invisibility spells to give those guys the slip. If there isn't a bride, there's no way we can get out."

Bloom sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Do you have any idea where I am? In the past, I mean."

"I'm you," Adision said. "I took the place of your physical body, but Isabel mixed me this potion, your living mind was inside me. For lack of a better term, the you of the past is dead."

Hale crossed his arms. "Well, we need someone to go down that aisle."

"But that's more than likely a death trap," Bloom replied.

"Yeah, but I–"

"I'll do it."

Dad turned to look at me in shock. "What?"

All eyes in the room were on me, and for a moment, I'd forgotten I'd spoken. I stood straighter, shaking the thought from my head. "I said, I'll do it. I'll marry Sky. A spell on my hair, and no one will notice. He thinks Bloom's gone, and–"

"No," Dad cut me off. His look had settled to what looked like anger. "I refuse to let you anywhere near that man."

"He shot your leg," Adision pointed out, gesturing to the bandages on my leg.

"He _shot_ you?" Bloom and Dad said at the same time.

"That… that's not important! He's just looking for a bit of revenge. He can take it out on me, I can handle it."

"You will do nothing of the sort," Dad snapped. His eyes were cold, but also pained.

"Look, Bloom can't do it, if Adision does it there are some serious things to worry about, and I don't think he looks too good in a dress." Hale scowled at me, but I didn't pause. "You guys… you're a family. And the nerd's too desperately in love. I'm the only option."

"Isabel Noelle, you are not pushing this any further."

"I'll push it as far as I like!" I snapped.

A silence filled the room, in which Adision, Hale, and Bloom exchanged weary looks and Dad just stared at me. "Look," I said slowly, "I know what you're thinking, and you're right. This is a stupid idea, and I am being irrational. But God forbid Sky gets his own daughter pregnant; who knows what could happen to that child? At least with me it wouldn't be as bad. And I'm smart – I can find a way out of the palace. And then I'll be back. To find you again."

Adision finally broke the silence. "Iz, we can take him on together."

"Can we?"

My sister didn't say anything.

"I couldn't allow you to take that risk for me, Isabel," Bloom insisted, stepping forward and placing a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes were carefully guarded, as though I were about to go over the edge of a cliff.

"You don't get it," I said, pushing her hands away. "None of you get it. You're the reason I'm alive again; the reason _he's_ alive again." I pointed to my father, who was standing there like a statue. "You don't know what it was like… and I… I have to do this. I'll be okay, I swear." I looked around, hoping I was getting though to them (although I didn't think I was making much sense myself).

Finally, Dad let out a long sigh. "Give her the dress."

Bloom looked between Dad and I. "Baltor, are you sure–"

"No," he cut her off. "I'm not. But right now, it's all we've got."

Grinning, I rushed over and threw my arms around his neck. "Thank you. You won't be disappointed, I swear."

He sighed again, wrapping his arms around me. "I've never been disappointed in you, sweetheart. Granted, some of your decisions weren't the best. But you were seven, what did you expect?"

"I… I just wanted you to think I was better than Mom."

His grip tightened. "Isabel, I always thought that. It wasn't very hard, either." I laughed, feeling tears well up in my eyes. He pushed me back to look me in the eyes. I was surprised to find he was crying, too. "Danielle would have been proud of you."

"I know."

Bloom looked a bit nervous at the mention of my mother, but she didn't say anything. She did, however, give me a tight hug. "We'll be back for you."

I nodded, fighting back the tears. "Maybe then we could… go to lunch or something? Get to know each other."

She made a sound between a laugh and a sigh. "I'll hold you to that."

I broke away and turned to Hale and Adision. "You guys…."

"No way," Hale cut off. "I have too much dignity to cry."

I raised an eyebrow. "You have dignity?"

He huffed, but still hugged me. "I'd tell you to hit him in the balls, but he doesn't have any."

"Charming mental image," I giggled, pulling back from the hug.

Adision had her arms crossed over her chest, looking ready to cry… God, there was so much crying. Somewhere in my goodbyes she'd switched the dress with the clothes Bloom had given her. We didn't even talk, just threw our arms around each other. "Thanks," I finally whispered. "This was… kind of a cool ride."

"I sound like a stripper," she replied, some light in her voice.

"Sorry."

"Don't worry."

We broke the hug, both of us wiping tears from our eyes. "Hey," Adision said, trying to wipe off the mascara tear tracks. "If you need anything…"

"Actually," I said, looking around at the other people in the room, "there are two things. First and foremost…" I reached out and grabbed Hale by the wrist, shoving him in front of Adision. "Will you just kiss already? Because this is getting quite annoying."

Bloom laughed, and Adision blushed. Dad rolled his eyes, but he looked amused nonetheless.

Hale glared at me, but after a moment shrugged. "What the hell?" With that, he pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips firmly against hers. I saw her eyes widen, and then slowly slide closed as her arms went around his neck.

With a grin, I let out a wolf whistle, which immediately broke the two up. Surprisingly enough, it was Adision who glared at me instead of Hale. "Subtle, Iz."

"I know."

"And I'm almost afraid to ask," Hale said, a smirk on his face. "But what's the other thing?"

I felt a smirk cross my face. "Right… hey Adision, do you still have Dad's ring?"

With a puzzled look she nodded, slipping it off her finger and handing it to me. "What do you need it for?"

"You could say I learned a few tricks in my years of wandering the realms. I'm pretty sure I can turn this into a twenty four hour jump between dimensions."

"A ticket home?" Hale asked. "What about you?"

"Oh no, the choice of which dimension you want to settle in is entirely up to you. But I would like you to… settle a debt of revenge in my honor."

I saw Dad's lips curve into a venomous smirk. "Sky?"

I nodded, matching the evil look. "Sky."

"Oh, I _like_ this," Adision grinned. "What's the plan?"

"You'll hear the plan," I insisted, looking at the ring with a smile. "But first… Dad? Bloom? I want you to do something for me."

"Of course," Bloom said, looking at me curiously. "What it is?"

"I need you to be a part of a… double wedding."

* * *

><p>I hadn't been to Red Fountain in over ten years, so it was nice to see that the overall décor of the place hadn't changed. It still smelled like Axe, the halls were still dim at night, and everything seemed mostly in order and peaceful.<p>

"Bloom!"

A smirk crossed my lips. Mostly peaceful.

I turned around, watching with barely controlled amusement as Sky stalked toward me. His face was much easier to read, and registered in fury. I merely crossed my arms, letting the show begin.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Sky demanded. "I heard Jonathan say he saw you earlier."

"Well, Jonathan was right. Stella invited me."

Sky was within arm's length of me. He crossed his arms and peered at me curiously. "How did you get here?"

I raised an eyebrow. "I left. Can't your brain get that far?"

He looked at me for a moment more, and then let out a long, low chuckle. "Oh Bloom… Bloom, Bloom, Bloom. Didn't we talk about this?"

A sly smile was on my face. "Yeah… and I came to a conclusion. Fuck you and your rules. Well, more like the second part, because I refuse to do the first anymore. I'm sick of it, and I wanted to come here and tell you in person." I paused, taking pride in the way his face fell. "I'm leaving. With Adision. And I'm not coming back."

He glared at me, and in a split second, reached for his sheath and pressed a button on it. The sword popped out, resting in the hollow of my collarbone. I froze for a second, but I forced myself to relax. "That," Sky said coolly, "would be a bad idea."

"Would it?" I asked, genuinely curious. "Sky, in case you haven't noticed, my daughter is almost sixteen years old; she can take care of herself. And she hates you. What will you gain by killing me? You can't launch into insanity like you did all those years ago. It's not in your heart."

"You think?" he asked, pushing the blade forward a little more. I felt a small sting, and immediately put a shield around my neck to prevent it from going deeper. "I can be a villain, Bloom."

"Oh you can, can you? Just like that?" I snapped my fingers, partially to prove my point and partially to send a signal. "I think someone has you beat in that category."

His eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"I believe," a voice spoke from the shadows, "my wife was referring to me."

Sky's eyes widened, and he withdrew the sword from my neck, spinning around. "Baltor?"

I didn't waste time, creating a fire whip in my hand and slamming it against Sky's wrist. He gasped in pain and dropped the sword. I spun him around to face me, and without a second thought jammed my knee into his groin, slapping his face at the same time. With a power I didn't know I possessed, I pushed him into a nearby wall, securing him with fire chains, much like I'd done with Bridgette.

Baltor stepped out of the shadows, looking a lot like the dark presence I remembered from my days at Alfea. His look was anything but friendly as he stepped towards Sky. "Well, well. Long time no see. How've you been, Sky?"

His face was set in pure shock (and a little pain). "That… it's impossible."

A deadly smirk washed over his face. "Is it now? You know the old saying – third time's the charm. Breaking out of Omega, you driving me away… looks like I'm here to stay this time."

Sky was about to say something, but at that moment Adision skidded around the corner, looking a little nervous. "Hey Hale said that–"

"Adision!" Sky yelled. "Quick! Attack him!"

My daughter's lips quirked as she arched an eyebrow. "You know I'm not stupid, right? Despite your DNA. I told you to watch your back, Your Highness."

His jaw dropped. "You double-crossing little bitch."

Baltor looked ready to tear him into little pieces, but to my surprise it was Adision who stepped forward, setting her hand on one of the fire chains and releasing a powerful jolt of electricity. Sky yelled, and Baltor threw up a shield to prevent anyone from hearing us. The overall shock lasted for maybe four seconds, but it looked physically draining. When it was over, Sky's head slumped forward, his breathing deep. With a surprisingly calm face, my daughter stepped forward and pushed his head back. His eyes were open and surprisingly furious.

Adision leaned in close to him. "Does this feel familiar?" She didn't give him a chance to answer. "Do you want to know I've done since you left this morning? I went to a sorceress and got a potion that brought Baltor back to life and sent me back in time. I almost took Mom's place at your wedding, which you knew about, and the only way I got out of it was Baltor's other daughter taking my place."

I placed my hand on her shoulder. "Easy, sweetie."

"What do you care?" Sky growled.

My eyes narrowed. "I care because – despite everything you've done – I have something to thank you for." I held up my right hand, where the silver and emerald ring winked on my finger. It was a different version of the one Adision had – there was only one stone on it.

"What the hell are you…" He trailed off, noticing the matching plain silver ring on Baltor's gloveless hand. "You said wife."

I nodded. "Isabel – Baltor's daughter, in case you care – had a last request before she went down the aisle. You of all people should know that right above the altar was another level, usually used as storage."

Sky's eyes went from furious to shocked. "That would mean…"

"We were married," Baltor filled in, a triumphant look on his face. "And I know what you're thinking – she'd need a divorce first. Well it turns out I'm good at faking your signature. Good news; you can keep your son. I'm afraid, however, Adision stays with us."

If looks could kill, we would all be six feet under. "You think you can get away with this?" Sky asked, his voice soft and murderous. "I'll get you back. I'll take Bloom, and _my _daughter."

"I'm _not_ your daughter," Adision said, still at my side.

"And more importantly," Baltor added, "you'll never see us again."

Sky laughed bitterly. "I have more resources than you can possibly imagine. I'll track you to the ends of this world."

Baltor and Adision exchanged a glance. "If you make it out," my daughter said nonchalantly.

I raised an eyebrow at her, and Sky's face paled. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

In response, Baltor raised his arms, a huge bolt of power growing between his hands. With a small gasp. I grabbed Adision's shoulders and pulled her back a few steps. As the bolt got bigger, the light became more intense, until I finally had to look away as it reached full power and Baltor finally released it, the lights around us fading to a dull glow before finally sparking out.

When I opened my eyes again, the hallway looked the same, and Sky was free of the fire chains I'd used. He was looking around wildly before his eyes finally set on Baltor, who was leaning against a wall near the door, looking completely calm. "What the hell was that, Baltor?" Sky questioned.

"Oh nothing really." My husband waved it off. "Just a test, really."

"Define a test."

Baltor shrugged, giving him a toothy grin. "I've taken over a school once; I decided to see if I could do it again."

Sky's face paled as Baltor straightened from the wall, walking towards him slowly. "Right now, every single person here is under direct orders to find and subdue. They are all headed towards this very hallway right now. You have precisely seven minutes to find your son and escape before I give them orders to tear you apart piece by piece." He stopped a few feet from him. Sky was backed up against a wall. "Run."

Sky needed no further encouragement. With a speed I hadn't seen in years, he raced down the hall and out of sight.

Adision watched him go with mild amusement. "Shouldn't you tell him that you just knocked everyone out instead of taking them over?"

I burst out laughing. "We probably should."

"Probably being the key word," Baltor chuckled.

Adision leaned back against a wall, her body shaking with laughter. "If only Isabel could've seen that."

Baltor grinned, pulling her into a hug. "I think she would've been impressed. But we'll just have to wait to tell her."

I smiled, looking up at the camera stationed in the hall. "We should probably go and see if Hale's done editing the tapes in the control room."

"Poor Sky," Adision shook her head. "Everyone's going to think he's crazy."

"You sound heartbroken."

My daughter grinned. "I'm more heartbroken that we can't keep those tapes."

"I'm sure you'll live," Baltor responded, starting down the hall. "And on the subject of Hale…"

"Dad!" Adision groaned.

Baltor glanced at me, and the two of us burst out laughing. "Calm down, darling. Actually, I wanted to run by a proposition with you before we give it to Hale."


	4. Epilogue: Bloom

"I dare you to try these on."

"Are you kidding?"

I glanced over my shoulder at Hale and Adision. In the boy's hand was possibly the ugliest pair of leggings I'd ever seen – neon orange and black cheetah print. I smiled a little as he shoved them towards Adision, who was shuddering. "No way, dude."

"Aww come on! I need a laugh."

"Hale," she laughed, whacking his shoulder, "No."

"Come on." With a devilish grin, he stepped forward trying to shove the offending garment into her arms. With a small laugh she stepped back, but not before tripping over a sale sign and ungracefully falling to the floor. The two of them burst out laughing, and I had to bite back a laugh as I went over and helped my daughter to her feet. "Are you alright, honey?"

"Fine," she said, giving Hale a mock glare. "Those pants are cursed."

"With that pattern they have to be," I muttered, causing the three of us to crack up.

So, after scaring Sky to the ends of the universe, we all came to a very odd conclusion. Not wanting to deal with media, my friends' reactions, and most importantly wanting to be there when Isabel worked her way out of her 'marriage', we returned to the alternate reality. For now, we were staying in a much larger suite at the Grand Wailea until Baltor and I could arrange to find a home or get some money. Thankfully I contacted an old friend of mine – Andy, who seemed more than willing to help us out (whether out of a good heart or still liking me I couldn't tell).

As for Hale, for now he was with us. He was still debating on going home or not, but for now we'd insisted he was more than welcome with us (okay; I'd insisted, Baltor threatened). But he seemed to be enjoying himself…and taking Baltor's threats in stride.

Speaking of him…"Where's your father, Addy?"

A knowing smirk appeared on my daughter's face. "He went back to the room, I think. Maybe you should go check on him."

Hale poked his head between a rack of clothes. "Is that a secret code for 'leave so we can make out?'"

Adision thumped him on the head. "It's code for 'leave so I can put those leggings on you.'"

I laughed again. "Well why you two figure that out, I think I'm going to head back before this place gets crowded."

"Does that –"

"Please," Adision insisted, a smirk on her face, "leave before he gets perverted."

"Good luck stopping that," Hale muttered more to himself. Adision rolled her eyes and hit him again.

* * *

><p>"Hello?" I called, walking into the hotel room.<p>

The place was like a dream Hawaiian suite. The walls were a light cream color, the cushions on the furniture were white, and there were two huge glass doors leading out to a deck with a view straight out to the ocean. Looking around, the place looked undisturbed until I caught sight of someone shifting on a chair outside. Smiling, I walked over and opened the door, stepping onto the deck.

Baltor was sitting in the chair, a notepad from the desk in his hand and a pen in the other. While I hadn't been able to coax him into one of the flower shirts, he'd eventually settled for a burgundy button up shirt and a pair of light jeans. Looking over his shoulder, I saw he was sketching the landscape, and from what I could see it was a good image. I let my eyes fall to the table near him, scattered with sheets torn off the notepad, each one holding an image.

"These are beautiful," I said, reaching down and picking up a picture of a Hawaiian lea, wrapped around a woman's neck.

Baltor jumped a little at my voice; apparently I'd been a bit too quiet in my entry. "They're just drawings; nothing special."

"Oh please," I said, running my fingers along the page, "I could never make a shadow like this with just a pen. And the detail on the flowers is amazing." I glanced over at him, smiling lightly. "You never told me you could draw."

"I _can't_," he insisted, a small laugh in his voice. "These are just little bits of nothing."

Hearing the lightness in his voice made me feel warm. "Keep telling yourself that, but I think you need to give me drawing lessons."

He shook his head, but didn't deny he'd help. Instead, he held out his hand to me, and I noticed for the first time he wasn't wearing gloves. "Come here."

I smiled a little, taking his hand and sitting down on his lap. He used magic to levitate the page so he could keep sketching, using the free hand to wrap around my shoulders. I snuggled into his chest, secretly pleased that despite the change of clothes he still smelled like worn leather and spices. I just laid there, the occasional sound of a pen against paper distracting me. For the first time in years, I felt safe and warm. Protected. Loved.

"What're you drawing?" I murmured absently.

"Not really sure. It's not coming out right," I heard him set the pen down with a sigh. "I can see why people on Earth refer to this place as a paradise."

"Yeah. One of the most beautiful places in the States." I trailed off, my eyes falling to the horizon. "Hey; question."

"Hmm?" he asked, running his fingers through my hair.

"I know that if Hale goes back…well, once that happens we won't be able to go back there, right?"

"It'll depend. I'm sure we can figure out a way back in an emergency. Why? Second thoughts?"

"Oh no, nothing like that. Just…_if_ that happens, do you think this dimension will disappear?"

I felt Baltor's chest rumble a bit as he chuckled. "It's unlikely; what Adision managed to do was create an alternate reality, and unless we find a way to go back in time in the other dimension and stop her from creating this one, it'll continue to go forward like any other one." He paused, glancing down at me. "Am I making much sense?"

I laughed a little. "Not really. It sounds pretty confusing."

"It is; I studied it for about two years. Basically, there are infinite numbers of alternate dimensions that can be accessed with the right power. All we've managed to do is create one."

"How do they differ?"

"Tiny little ways. A person might not have been born, another side may have won a war…tons of things. There are more than likely some where your little Winx Club never existed. There could be some where I don't exist, where Sky never did."

I nodded. "There could be some where you and Isabel's mother were still together."

"Quite possibly," he said after a moment. "Though granted, we never had much to go on in the first place."

"Would…would she still be alive here?"

"Danielle?" my husband questioned. "She could be; I highly doubt it though. Why all the questions?"

"Just…curious, I suppose. Isabel seems so sweet and…I was just wondering."

"I'm not very clear on where she got that myself."

I smiled a little, tilting my head up to look at him. "I'm assuming you."

He glanced down at me with amusement, doing a double take when he saw my grin. "What?"

I shook my head. "I don't recall being this…happy, the first time I got married."

Baltor opened his mouth to reply, but before he could speak I heard the door of the room open, accompanied by Adision's laugh. "…got us kicked out, you jerk!"

"Come on; one spell and that employee won't remember anything."

I chuckled quietly. Baltor and I exchanged a look, and I (much to the annoyance of a certain part of my brain) stood up from his lap, running a hand through my now tangled hair.

"Did I hear you guys got kicked out of that store?" I asked, walking back into the room. Baltor followed, looking equally amused.

"Hale started it," Adision said with the grace of a six-year-old. "I told him to get those leggings out of my sight."

"You'll regret it."

My daughter huffed indignantly, which caused Hale to burst out laughing. "So what are you guys up to?"

"Nothing much," Baltor said absently. "Something tells me you two have had much more exciting adventures. And it's not even nine in the morning."

Adision glanced between us, her eyebrow raised. The way her eyes darted with the perfect blend of curiosity and underlying sarcasm reminded me of Sky. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," Baltor and I said together at the exact same time.

"Bull crap. You're a suckish liar, Mom. You need lessons."

"Adision," Baltor said a sarcastic warning tone. "You know no amount of lessons can make your mother a better liar."

I glared at him, grabbing a pillow from one of the chairs and tossing it at him. To my surprise it was a good throw, hitting him smack on the side of the head. "You both are terrible. Right now Hale's my favorite."

"That's surprising," the boy muttered as I collapsed onto one of the chairs. "Did you drain the mini fridge of alcohol last night and you're in a killer hangover?"

"…Strike that. I hate you all."

"Knew it!" he said, sounding proud of himself. The four of us laughed.

Hale's eyes looked between Baltor and I, his laughter slowly fading down to a chuckle. After a moment, a smirk appeared on his face. "…Come on Adision," Hale said, pulling her sleeve, "Let's go check out that resort pool. I heard there's like seven different water slides."

It took her only a few moments to catch on. "Sounds good." She agreed, turning back to Baltor and I. "That's ok, right?"

I smiled. "Go for it. Just be careful. We don't want to get tossed out."

She nodded before tilting her head to the side to see past me. "Dad?" she asked, a small smile on her face.

Baltor nodded back at her, a knowing smile crossing his face. "Have fun, you two."

Adision grinned at us, and then turned and followed Hale out of the room, her arm linked in his. I watched with a small smile. "You think they'll make it?" I asked, watching them nudge each other with their elbows.

"He went back in time for her," Baltor replied, grinning at me, "That usually shows a significant bond."

I nodded, my own smile fading from my face. "Look…about Isabel…and marrying Sky – because I know we'll have to talk about it eventually –"

"Don't worry," he cut off, "you honestly think I'd let either of my daughters near a creep like Sky, much less marry him?" As he said this, he tossed me the Magix gossip magazine Hale had purchased that morning. I look down at the cover and immediately recognized Sky. Standing next to him, was none other than Princess Diaspro of Isis. 'Celebrating the New Alliance of the Magical Dimension' was written below it.

"I suppose Isabel switched herself with Diaspro once we left. " Baltor said, a small smile on his face. "She'll find us when she wants to; for now I think she's just enjoying being alive."

"She's like you." I agreed, setting the magazine aside. "So…we may have the rest of our lives together now, but we only have one day here."

The smile on Baltor's face slowly turned into a devilish smirk. "What were you thinking of, darling?"

"I don't know," I said, purposely dragging out my words as he slowly walked toward me; "A walk on the beach, going into the town." He was standing over where I was seated on one of the white chairs. "Lounging at the pool with our daughter." He took my hands and pulled me up from the chair. "Going to a nice dinner." Baltor wrapped his arms around my waist, pressing me against him. "Listening to some stories."

"What kind of stories?" Baltor questioned, putting a hand under my chin and tilting my head up so I was staring into his eyes.

"Any." I replied after a second. My body seemed to be jolting with electricity, as though I was part of a current. "Folk tales, maybe. Fairytales."

He scoffed a little. "Fairytales. Those are never true."

"Some are."

"Like what?"

"Well…what about the Labyrinth?"

Baltor smirked at me. "You think there's a magical world where whished away children go to, run by a rock star in ridiculous clothing?"

I tilted my head to the side thoughtfully, smirking myself. "I think some of that is more realistic than you think. Don't you know how that story ended?"

He raised a perfect eyebrow at me. "The girl got her brother back and went home, didn't she?"

"Well yes, but the mysterious Goblin King kept his eyes on the baby brother as he grew up, and eventually brought him back to the Labyrinth to be the next King. But a jealous queen from a neighboring kingdom tried to ruin the young boy's new kingdom. So Sarah eventually returned to the Labyrinth and saw Jareth again."

"Hmm…did they stay together?" Baltor questioned.

"They don't really say. Just that 'their paths could possibly cross again'."

"I see…but what's that have to do with fairytales being true?"

"Well…Sarah got the love of her life back. And if she ever needed him, all she had to do was wish for him."

Baltor gave me a devious look. "Not to offend you or your story-telling abilities, but I'm sure I'm better than some Goblin King."

"Really? Well let's try it out." I said, my voice dropping to a seductive whisper as I leaned closer to his face so our lips were only centimeters apart. "I wish the darkest and most handsome wizard in the magical dimension would come and take me away _right now_."

Within seconds, I felt myself being lifted up off the ground within two strong arms. I stared into Baltor eyes as he brushed his lips across mine. "Bloom, my dear," he said, dropping his voice to whisper too, "All you had to do was ask."

* * *

><p><strong>Well, that just about wraps it up. Thank you guys so much for reading - I know the chapter lengths were gruesome, so major bonus points for you! Please leave a final review - if not for me than Authoress who suffered through my constant rambling about this in countless e-mails. If you reviewed for all the chapters, I'll send you that part of the new story soon! Thanks guys; peace out!<strong>

**ember**


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